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Russia claims the fire at Kusum Pharma warehouse in Kyiv was caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile, not a Russian strike, contrary to Kyiv authorities and the British envoy’s allegations.
An image shared by British ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris shows a warehouse belonging to Kusum Pharmaceuticals damaged in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. (IMAGE: X/@MartinHarrisOBE)
Russia on Thursday said that the recent fire at the Kusum Pharma warehouse in Ukraine’s Kyiv was triggered by a Ukrainian air defence missile and not a direct Russian strike. Authorities in Kyiv had alleged that Russia struck the warehouse. The claim was also made by the British envoy to Ukraine. Kusum Pharma is an Indian pharmaceutical company.
“The most likely explanation of the incident is that one of Ukrainian air defence missiles fell on Kusum Healthcare’s warehouse, setting it on fire. Similar cases have occurred previously whereby Ukrainian air defence interceptors failing to hit their targets fell in urban areas due to ineptly operated electronic warfare systems,” the Russian embassy said in a statement.
Ukrainian officials last Saturday said that it was a Russian missile that struck Kusum’s warehouse in the country’s capital.
The image of the condition of the factory following the attack was first shared by the British ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris which was the reposted by the Ukrainian embassy in India and criticised Russian forces for targeting assets of nations that it considers friendly.
“The Russian Embassy in New Delhi informs that the Russian Armed Forces did not attack or plan to attack on April 12, 2025, Kusum Healthcare’s pharmacy warehouse in the eastern part of Kiev. On that day, Russian tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles and missile forces hit an aviation plant of the Ukrainian military industrial complex, the infrastructure of a military airfield and armoured vehicle repair and UAV assembly workshops at a completely different location,” the Russian embassy in New Delhi further added in its press release.
It also said that Ukrainian forces use civilians as human shields. “The Embassy outlines that during the Special Military Operation the Russian Armed Forces have never targeted civilian facilities. It should also be noted that it has become customary for the Ukrainian military to deploy air defence systems, rocket launchers, artillery pieces and other military equipment in urban areas using civilians as a human shield,” the embassy highlighted in its statement.
