Russian missile destroys US firm’s drone factory in Kyiv
A Russian ballistic missile destroyed a Kyiv drone factory owned by US company Terminal Autonomy on Friday, marking what appears to be the first time Moscow has targeted a US firm in the conflict.
A drone factory in Kyiv was destroyed by a Russian ballistic missile on Friday. The facility was owned by Terminal Autonomy, a US corporation registered in Delaware in 2023. This is believed to be the first instance of Russia targeting a US company in the war in Ukraine.
According to a source familiar with the company, Terminal Autonomy manufactures precision ‘deep-strike’ drones with guidance systems resistant to Russian jamming. The company’s website states it deploys AI-guided loitering munitions and precision munitions already in active service on the front line.
No one was killed in the attack, a source said. Terminal Autonomy and the Ukrainian defence ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
The Russian state news agency Tass first reported the attack on Sunday, citing the Russian defence ministry. Tass did not disclose US ownership but mentioned that “specialists from a Ukrainian-American company” worked there. It accurately identified the factory as producing AQ-400 Scythe and AQ-100 Bayonet drones.
Anthony Vinci, a former senior US intelligence officer, commented that the Russians do not care who owns the manufacturing facility. “It’s still a target,” he said, adding that if Patriot missiles were produced in Ukraine, Russia would target that facility as well. Earlier in July, Donald Trump said the US would license Ukraine to manufacture Patriot anti-aircraft missiles.
