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Russia’s latest overnight strikes, which targeted deep within Western Ukraine, hit the Flex electronics factory, injuring six employees.
Flex Ltd., a multinational manufacturing company based in Silicon Valley since its founding in 1969, was one of the first U.S. service manufacturers to offshore operations, according to its website. The attack occurred on a nightshift when approximately 600 employees were present at the Flex factory.
Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, noted that Russia’s war in Ukraine has damaged more than half of the chamber’s roughly 600 member businesses since February 2022. When contacted by email on Thursday, both the White House and the American Chamber of Commerce did not respond.
The Flex factory is located far from the battlefront in eastern and southern Ukraine, marking the deepest strikes into the nation since the war began on February 24, 2022. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the attacks targeted “enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex,” including factories, storage depots, missile launch sites, and areas where Ukrainian troops were gathered.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack on X: “Last night, the Russian army set one of its insane anti-records. They targeted civilian infrastructure facilities, residential buildings, and our people. Several cruise missiles were lobbed against an American-owned enterprise in Zakarpattia. It was a regular civilian business supported by American investment, producing everyday items like coffee machines. And yet, it was also a target for the Russians.”
Zelensky emphasized: “The fire at the facility is still being extinguished. As of now, 15 people have been reported injured in the strike— all have received necessary assistance. This attack requires a response. There is still no signal from Moscow that they truly intend to engage in substantive negotiations and end this war.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated: “It simply will not work… And I am convinced that in the West, and above all in the United States, they perfectly understand that seriously discussing issues of security without the Russian Federation is a utopia. It is a road to nowhere.”
The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine describes itself as a leading business association in Ukraine, advocating for improved business conditions and representing U.S., international, and Ukrainian companies invested over $50 billion in Ukraine.
Hunder said about 600 nightshift employees were present at the Flex factory during the strike. The attack killed one person and injured 15 others, including six factory workers.
The strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to achieve a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and discussing the situation with Ukrainian and European leaders. The U.S. has argued for “economic security guarantees,” linking its economic future with Ukraine’s well-being to create higher returns for taxpayers.
The strikes underscore Russia’s continued aggressive tactics despite global efforts to end the war.
