Russia has threatened to strike drone production facilities across Europe supplying Ukraine, including a Haifa-based company identified by Moscow, as fighting intensifies and European support for Kyiv expands.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said such facilities constitute “legitimate targets” for the Russian military. In a post on X, he accused European countries of escalating the conflict by significantly increasing drone production in cooperation with Ukraine.
Medvedev said European governments decided in late March to expand unmanned aerial vehicle production, including through increased funding for joint ventures with Ukraine, effectively turning Europe into a “strategic rear” for Kyiv.
Separately, Russia’s Defense Ministry published a list of sites it claims are involved in manufacturing drones and related equipment for Ukraine. The list includes facilities in major cities such as London, Munich, Prague and Riga, with components also produced in Madrid and at several locations in Italy, including Venice.
According to Moscow, Ukrainian drone manufacturers operate branches in eight European countries, with additional components supplied from countries including Germany, Turkey, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic and Israel.
The list names Elsight, an Israel-based company with operations in Haifa, as supplying cellular connectivity modules described as critical for communication and remote control of unmanned systems.
There was no immediate response from the company or Israeli officials to the Russian claims.