Russian Forces Destroy Kyiv-Based U.S. Drone Factory! Trump: No Authorization Yet for Ukraine to Produce 'Patriot' Missiles

Ukraine's capital Kyiv came under intense bombardment from Russian forces late Friday (31st) into early Saturday (1st), resulting in at least 9 fatalities and 28 injuries, and the destruction of a drone factory owned by a U.S. company—reigniting tensions among the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated its forces launched a large-scale surprise attack on the night of the 31st, using land- and sea-based long-range precision weapons alongside long-range attack drones, targeting multiple military-industrial plants and logistics hubs within Kyiv city and Kyiv Oblast. These facilities, it claimed, were involved in the production, storage, and transportation of missiles, drones, radar stations, and electronic warfare equipment.

Kyiv Mayor Klitschko confirmed on the 1st that the attacks had killed 9 people and injured 28, with 17 of the injured still receiving hospital treatment.

Earlier, he revealed that Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv in the early hours, followed by intense and continuous explosions across the city.

A rare detail emerged in The Guardian's report on the 31st: a Russian-made ballistic missile precisely destroyed a drone manufacturing plant in Kyiv, which is owned by a U.S. Delaware-registered company, 'Terminal Autonomous Drones Company'.

Citing insiders, the report noted the company specializes in producing high-precision 'deep strike' drones, whose guidance systems are designed to resist Russian signal jamming.

The Guardian analyzed this could mark the first time since the conflict began that Russia has directly targeted a facility linked to the U.S. defense industry.

Ukrainian forces also reported retaliatory actions. On the 1st, Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-appointed administrator of the Zaporizhzhia region, posted on social media that a bus carrying employees from an iron ore company was attacked by a Ukrainian drone, killing 1 and injuring 12, with 2 in critical condition.

The bus reportedly carried 55 employees and 1 driver returning from work. Ukraine's official authorities have not yet responded to the incident.

Beyond the battlefield, U.S. policy has drawn attention.

President Trump, speaking to the media after a cabinet meeting at Camp David, Maryland, on the 31st, stated Washington has not yet agreed to authorize Ukraine to locally produce 'Patriot' missile interceptors, emphasizing that such technology transfer 'must be very careful' and remains under negotiation.

Trump also commented on the prospects for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, saying while both leaders want an agreement, compromises from both sides are necessary to move negotiations forward.

Notably, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, during his U.S. visit on the 28th of last month, said he had discussed with Trump the possibility of Ukraine manufacturing 'Patriot' interceptors domestically.

This was their second meeting that month, following a previous encounter on July 8 during the NATO Ankara summit, when Trump had appeared to signal approval for Ukraine to produce the 'Patriot' system. His current stance now appears more reserved.

Amid the stalemate on air defense, Ukraine has not halted its counterattacks.

On the 31st, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that its forces used air-launched precision weapons and attack drones to strike a bulk carrier transporting supplies to Ukrainian forces in the Black Sea south of Odesa, as well as parts of the Odesa oil refinery.

A logistics sorting facility in the Dnipro region was also hit by drones, which Russia claimed was used for transporting and storing military supplies and drone components.

On the same day, Zelenskyy confirmed Ukrainian forces had conducted long-range strikes against infrastructure supporting Russian forces inside Russia, targeting multiple logistics centers, maritime terminals, and oil refineries—specifically logistics hubs in Sarapul, Kazan, and Volgograd, a maritime terminal in Krasnodar Krai, and an oil refinery in the Volgograd region.