Russian drone strike hits German-owned Kromberg & Schubert plant in Zhytomyr Oblast
On 22 September, Russian forces struck an enterprise with foreign investments in the Zhytomyr community using a reactive drone. Local reports identify the target as the German-owned Kromberg & Schubert plant, a major employer that had already been badly damaged in a 9 August attack. A large fire broke out and emergency services worked through the night to extinguish it; reports differ on whether anyone was hurt.
Key points
- Russian forces attacked an enterprise with foreign investments in the Zhytomyr community on 22 September using a reactive drone.
- Local officials identified the target as the German-owned Kromberg & Schubert plant, which manufactures cable systems for Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Skoda, and Porsche.
- A large-scale fire broke out after the strike, with a column of black smoke visible over Zhytomyr; emergency services and Red Cross volunteers worked into the night to extinguish it and dismantle damaged metal structures.
- Head of the Zhytomyr Oblast Military Administration Vitaliy Bunechko reported the attack; sources differ on whether there were any casualties or injuries.
- The plant had already sustained significant damage in a Russian attack on 9 August, after which its operations were suspended indefinitely.
- Kromberg & Schubert has operated in Zhytomyr Oblast since 2015–2016 and employs about 3,500 people, making it one of the largest employers in the oblast.
Why it matters
The Kromberg & Schubert plant is a wholly German-owned facility and one of the largest employers in Zhytomyr Oblast, with roughly 3,500 workers. It supplies cable systems to several major European automakers, giving a strike on its premises economic significance that extends beyond Ukraine. This was the second deliberate Russian attack on the same site after the 9 August strike, raising questions about the targeting of foreign-invested industrial infrastructure.
What happened
On 22 September, during the daytime, Russian forces struck an enterprise with foreign investments in the Zhytomyr community in Zhytomyr Oblast using a reactive drone. The head of the Zhytomyr Oblast Military Administration, Vitaliy Bunechko, reported the attack via Facebook. Local public channels identified the target as the German-owned Kromberg & Schubert plant, which manufactures automotive cable systems for Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Skoda, and Porsche. A large-scale fire broke out at the site, with a column of black smoke visible over the city. Emergency services, specialists and Red Cross volunteers worked at the scene into the evening and night, extinguishing the fire and dismantling damaged metal structures. Reports differ on the casualty toll: most sources, including Bunechko, reported no casualties or injuries, while one source reported two people injured. The plant had previously been significantly damaged in a Russian attack on 9 August, after which its operations were suspended indefinitely.
Where reporting differs
Sources diverge on the casualty toll from the 22 September strike: most reporting, including that of Zhytomyr Oblast Military Administration head Vitaliy Bunechko, said there were no casualties or injuries, while one source reported two people injured.
Background
Kromberg & Schubert is an international group founded in 1902 with more than 50,000 employees worldwide; it has operated in Zhytomyr Oblast since 2015–2016 and is also present in Lutsk. The 22 September strike was the second deliberate attack on the plant after a Russian strike on 9 August caused significant damage and led to an indefinite suspension of operations. The same day, earlier in the morning, a Russian drone struck a transport infrastructure facility elsewhere in Zhytomyr Oblast. On 21 September, Russian forces twice attacked gas stations on the M-06 Kyiv–Chop highway near Zvyagel, including a WOG station, and on 17 September an industrial park in Korosten district was hit, killing two and injuring two.