On September 7, 2026, Russian military forces carried out a drone strike on the city of Pryluky in Chernihiv Oblast. As a result of the attack, the building of the British American Tobacco (BAT Ukraine) tobacco factory was hit, and a fire broke out in the cigarette production workshop on the company's premises. The fire was contained and extinguished by fire brigade units. According to the information available at the time of publication, all employees of the facility were in a shelter at the moment of the explosions, which prevented any fatalities or serious injuries among the workers.

Official position of British American Tobacco

In a comment to RBC-Ukraine, the press office of "BAT – Ukraine" officially confirmed the fact of an enemy strike on the facility. "We confirm that the facility sustained damage. An assessment of the consequences is currently underway. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties. We will provide additional details after the verification of information is complete," the company stated. Thus, BAT is not hiding the scale of the incident and has launched an internal investigation and an assessment of the material damage. The company promises to provide expanded information once the review is finished.

Course of the attack and impact on infrastructure

According to reports from local and national media, the strike was carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles. As a result of the impact, the cigarette workshop — one of the key production rooms of the factory — caught fire. Fire brigade units promptly responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze. Footage taken by eyewitnesss shows a thick cloud of black and grey smoke rising above the roof of the industrial building, as well as open flames on the roof. In the foreground of the shots are law enforcement officers on duty at the perimeter of the facility, behind a metal fence.

Casualties and injured

Preliminary data indicate that there are no fatalities or injuries among the factory workers — at the time of the attack, the staff were in a shelter, which was the result of a well-rehearsed evacuation procedure. One injured person is known: a local resident who was at a public transport stop near the facility sustained injuries. Her condition and the nature of the injuries are being clarified. As of the time of preparing this material, no information on additional casualties had been received.

Significance of the facility for the regional and national economy

The Pryluky tobacco factory is one of the largest taxpayers not only in the tobacco industry but also in Ukraine's overall state ranking. Its production lines manufacture cigarettes of international and local brands such as Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Capri, "Pryluky," as well as heatsticks for the glo heated tobacco system. The shutdown of the cigarette workshop may lead to a temporary reduction in production volumes and, as a consequence, a decrease in tax revenues at all budget levels. The company has already begun assessing the damage, however, the timelines for restoring production and the scale of repair work were not disclosed at the time of publication.

Context: a series of attacks on industrial facilities

The strike on Pryluky became the latest episode in a series of drone attacks on Ukraine's industrial and infrastructure facilities. The choice of a major production enterprise with an international brand as a target underscores that Russian forces continue to deliberately strike objects that ensure the country's export potential and tax base. For BAT, which has been present on the Ukrainian market for many years and is integrated into the local economy, the incident represents not only direct financial losses but also reputational risks associated with disruptions to supply chains and logistics.