A devastating attack by Russian forces has destroyed Svitanok Farm in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, killing more than 13,000 pigs during a four-hour overnight drone barrage on October 3, 2025.
According to reports from Ukrainian officials, over 20 Shahed- and Geran-type drones struck multiple barns and storage buildings between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., leaving the facility in ruins.
The farm had housed about 1,250 sows and 15,000 pigs before the assault, supplying pork to retailers across Ukraine. Estimated losses exceed US $7.5 million.
“We have lost years of breeding and production in just a few hours,” said farm director Oleksandr Kolisnyk. “The drones flew directly into barns and exploded on impact — everything burned, including the pigs.”
The Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders confirmed the destruction, noting that the livestock sector continues to be a direct target in the war. President Oksana Yurchenko reported that commercial swine production has been completely wiped out in several regions, including Sumy, Kherson, and Donetsk, where the country’s largest producer, APK-Invest, once operated.
Beyond the immediate animal losses, ongoing attacks have crippled energy infrastructure and cold-storage facilities, further threatening Ukraine’s pork supply chain. Many farms now rely on generators for days at a time, while processors reduce slaughter volumes due to power and cost constraints.
This latest strike underscores the mounting toll of the conflict on both agriculture and food security, as Russia escalates attacks on Ukraine’s essential food and energy resources.
