Russian Missile Destroys US-Owned Drone Factory in Kyiv

A Russian ballistic missile destroyed a US-registered drone factory in Kyiv on Friday, July 24, marking the first known Russian strike on a US-owned company in Ukraine. The factory belonged to an US corporation registered in Delaware, Terminal Autonomy, which makes precision “deep-strike” drones, equipped with guidance systems designed to resist Russian jamming, according to The Guardian. No casualties were reported in the strike.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The Russians don’t care who owns the manufacturing facility. It’s still a target,” said Anthony Vinci, a former senior US intelligence officer. “They don’t care if it’s American or someone else’s.” A company built around AI-guided munitions According to state records, the corporation was registered in 2023. Its name, “Terminal Autonomy,” refers to the final phase of a kamikaze drone’s attack, in which artificial intelligence (AI) takes over control of the weapon after a defending force jams radio waves or mobile service. The company’s website says it “deploy[s] AI-guided loitering munitions and precision munitions, which are already in active service against enemy assets on the frontline.” The company did not respond to The Guardian’s request for comment, neither did Ukraine’s defense ministry. Kyiv Post has not separately verified the information. Russian state media confirmed the strike Russian state-owned news agency TASS first reported the attack on Sunday, July 26, citing the Russian defense ministry. However, they did not disclose that an American company owned the factory. Other Topics of Interest Russian Strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Region Kill 3, Wound 10 Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk region more than 50 times, hitting a lyceum, a supermarket, residential apartments and a logistics terminal. However, they did note that “specialists from a Ukrainian-American company” had worked at the site, and accurately identified the plant as a manufacturer of AQ-400 Scythe and AQ-100 Bayonet drones. A shift in tone toward Moscow The strike comes as the US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric toward Russia’s war has changed noticeably throughout recent months. Where he once resisted labeling Russia the aggressor and appeared more sympathetic to Moscow’s position, Ukraine’s recent battlefield gains and ongoing resilience appear to have pushed him toward firmer backing of Kyiv. Around the same time, Congress moved forward with the late US Senator Lindsey Graham’s bipartisan bill, which would impose stricter sanctions on Russia and its energy revenues, financial networks, and partner countries. However, with the recent diplomatic movements came additional pressure on both Ukraine’s defense sector and its residents. On Friday, July 24, Ukraine suffered a rare daytime ballistic missile attack, with early estimates putting the number of missiles launched at around 12, including both ballistic weapons and Tsirkon cruise missiles. The strike came as Russian forces fired approximately 107 ballistic missiles and 20 Zircon missiles at Ukraine within the first 19 days of July, exceeding its known monthly production capacity. During the same day, Russian forces struck a defense industry exhibition in the Kyiv region, with Russia claiming that the event displayed drones used against Russian territory. The ballistic missile strike killed at least 10 people and injured around 100, according to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, prompting criticism over the event’s organization. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that the exhibition had indeed been the target. Nina Savić is a Cultural Studies graduate with a strong focus on critical analysis of discourse and media. She is particularly drawn to stories and perspectives often overlooked or erased by mainstream narratives, and is passionate about giving a voice to those pushed to the margins.