Russia denies charges of targeting Indian business in Kyiv

The Russian Embassy in India has denied allegations that its armed forces targeted a warehouse belonging to an Indian pharmaceutical company in Kyiv — the Ukrainian capital — during a missile strike. The warehouse, owned by Kusum Healthcare, was reportedly set ablaze following the attack.

In a statement, the Russian mission 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 Kusum Healthcare’s pharmacy warehouse in the eastern part of Kyiv on April 12, 2025.”

The statement asserted that Russian forces had instead conducted strikes in an entirely different location, targeting military infrastructure. “On that day, Russian tactical aviation and missile forces struck an aviation plant of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, as well as the infrastructure of a military airfield, and workshops for armoured vehicle repair and UAV assembly,” the embassy said.

Blaming the incident on Ukraine’s air defence systems, the embassy suggested the blaze at Kusum’s facility was likely caused by a misfired Ukrainian missile. “The most likely explanation of the incident is that one of Ukraine’s air defence missiles fell on Kusum Healthcare’s warehouse,” the statement said. It further claimed similar cases had occurred in the past, where Ukrainian interceptors failed to hit their intended targets and instead landed in populated areas.

“The Embassy emphasises that, during the Special Military Operation, the Russian Armed Forces have never targeted civilian facilities,” the statement continued. It also accused Ukraine of placing military equipment, including air defence systems, rocket launchers, and artillery, within urban areas, effectively using civilians as human shields.

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