Russia has refuted allegations by Ukraine that a Russian missile struck the warehouse of an Indian pharma firm in Kyiv last week.
The Russian embassy in India in a statement said Ukrainian air defence missiles likely fell on Kusum Healthcare’s warehouse, setting it on fire.
On April 12, Kyiv alleged a Russian missile struck the Indian firm’s warehouse, and accused Russia of “deliberately” targeting Indian businesses in Ukraine.
Kusum, owned by Rajiv Gupta, is among the largest pharma firms in Ukraine. The company’s products are critical across Ukraine as they ensure availability of basic medicines, sources told NDTV. They said a drone, not a missile, made a direct hit on the warehouse.
In the statement today, Moscow alleged Ukraine’s air defence assets in civilian areas are used as “human shields”.
“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,” Russia said.
“In response to the accusations spread by the Embassy of Ukraine in India 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 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 in India said.
It said the Russian armed forces have never targeted civilian facilities during special military operations.
