The Prilutsk Tobacco Factory, part of the British American Tobacco (BAT-Ukraine) group, has temporarily suspended production following an attack by Russian drones. This was reported to RBC-Ukraine by the press office of BAT-Ukraine: the company is currently assessing the consequences of the attack and documenting the damage sustained, and factory operations have been suspended. Company representatives provided no further details, limiting themselves to confirming that production has been halted.
Course of the Attack and Impact on Production
According to available information, on September 7 Russian forces attacked the city of Prilutsk in Chernihiv Oblast with drones. As a result of the strike, a drone hit the building of the Prilutsk Tobacco Factory, causing the cigarette production workshop to catch fire. Flames and thick black smoke rising above the production building were captured in photographs from the scene. The enterprise was forced to cease operations while specialists assess the scale of the damage and record the damage for subsequent documentation.
Staff Situation and Casualties
At the time of the attack, the enterprise's employees were in a shelter, so there are no fatalities or seriously injured workers. A local resident was injured; she was at a public transport stop near the factory at the moment of the strike. Thus, thanks to compliance with evacuation and sheltering rules during the air raid, no human casualties among the staff were recorded.
The Enterprise's Role in the Tobacco Industry
The Prilutsk Tobacco Factory is one of the largest taxpayers in the tobacco industry and is included in Ukraine's national ranking. The enterprise produces cigarettes of the Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Capri and Prilutsk brands, as well as glo heat-not-burn tobacco sticks. The temporary shutdown of such a major production facility inevitably affects output volumes and tax revenues, making the incident significant not only for the region but for the industry as a whole.
A Series of Strikes on the Tobacco Industry
The attack on the Prilutsk factory was part of a series of strikes on enterprises in Ukraine's tobacco industry. On the night of September 8, Russian occupiers struck the factory of the Imperial Brands tobacco company in Kyiv. As a result, the production facilities and infrastructure of the Kyiv enterprise were destroyed. Taken together, these incidents point to a deliberate targeting of key taxpayers in the industry.
Contradictory Data
Open sources show a minor discrepancy in the list of brands produced at the factory. The press office of BAT-Ukraine and some media outlets cite the Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Capri, Prilutsk range and glo sticks, while individual publications also mention the Dunhill brand in their headlines and do not always list Pall Mall and Capri. In addition, the company has not disclosed exact figures on the scale of the damage or the timeline for resuming operations, limiting itself to a general statement that an assessment of the damage is underway. Until an official assessment is issued, these details remain to be clarified.
