A drone factory in Kyiv destroyed by a Russian ballistic missile on Friday was owned by a US corporation registered in Delaware, in what appears to be the first time Moscow has targeted a US company in the conflict.

Axar.az reports, citing The Guardian, that the terminal Autonomy makes precision “deep-strike” drones with guidance systems that are resistant to Russian jamming signals, according to a person familiar with the company.

The phrase “terminal autonomy” refers to the final phase of a kamikaze drone’s attack in which AI takes over control of the weapon after the defending force jams radio waves or mobile service.

State records show that the corporation was registered in Delaware in 2023. The company’s website says: “We deploy AI-guided loitering munitions and precision munitions, which are already in active service against enemy assets on the frontline.”

The Russian state news agency Tass first reported on the attack on Sunday, citing the Russian defence ministry as its source. The report did not disclose that an American company owned the factory but mentioned that “specialists from a Ukrainian-American company” had worked there. Tass accurately reported that the plant made AQ-400 Scythe and AQ-100 Bayonet drones.