The enemy has found a new target: occupiers strike factories that feed the state budget

While law enforcement officers raid underground cigarette production workshops, the occupiers are delivering targeted blows to legal tobacco product manufacturers. This may conceal a new two-pronged strategy — to deprive Ukrainians of goods and the state of more than 150 billion hryvnias in taxes. As RBC-Ukraine reports, the JTI tobacco company factory in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, during September 2026 year suffered two enemy strikes. As a result, the enterprise is not operating, which JTI Ukraine said in response to a site inquiry. JTI Ukraine emphasized that as a result of the attacks no employees were harmed, since production was paused even before the strikes, and it remains closed. The company also refuted allegations by the Russian Ministry of Defense about allegedly producing weapons at the facility, noting that the Kremenchuk plant produces only tobacco products and has never been involved in military production. According to journalist Yevhen Plinsky, starting in July this is already the 4-th targeted strike against tobacco industry enterprises; previously: 8 in July 2026 year in Kyiv, a warehouse of finished products of Philip Morris was completely destroyed, which 2022 year halted the operation of its factory in Kharkiv; 7 September 2026 year seven Russian drones hit the British American Tobacco factory in Pryluky; 10 September strikes were delivered to Imperial Brands' production in Kyiv. The factory suffered significant damage and stopped working. “Why are the Russians suddenly deciding to strike cigarette production? The enemy clearly understands that the tobacco industry is a generator of enormous contributions to the budget, which are deliberately directed toward the army, defense, salaries to the military, drones, fuel, and more. For understanding the figures: 2025 year the entire tobacco industry paid to the Ukrainian budget about 177 billion hryvnias in taxes, providing 7% of all tax revenues in the country,” explains Yevhen Plinsky about the targeting of strikes on Ukraine’s tobacco industry. Meanwhile, electronic cigarette manufacturers have found a way to reduce the illegal market and ensure contributions to the state budget of 4 billion hryvnias.