U.S. manufacturing facility bombed in huge Russian airstrikes in Ukraine : NPR

KYIV, Ukraine — Two Russian cruise missiles slammed into an American electronics manufacturing facility in a distant nook of far western Ukraine earlier than daybreak Thursday, inflicting in depth harm and greater than a dozen accidents, in response to Ukrainian officers.

The assault got here as Russia carried out considered one of its largest airstrikes of the warfare, firing greater than 570 drones and 40 missiles in an in a single day barrage, in response to the officers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was considered one of a number of officers who took to social media to report the airstrike, saying a minimum of 15 folks had been wounded.

In his put up on the Telegram messaging app, Zelenskyy known as it an “bizarre civilian enterprise, an American funding. They produced such acquainted home items as espresso machines.”

The Ukrainian chief went on to say that the Russian navy “delivered this strike as if nothing had modified in any respect. As if there have been no efforts by the world to cease this warfare.”

The corporate that was hit, Flex, produces civilian digital elements and merchandise with greater than 100 workplaces and factories worldwide. The corporate was based within the U.S., is listed on NASDAQ, and has headquarters in each Austin, Texas, and Singapore. Flex didn’t instantly reply to emails searching for remark.

Movies on social media confirmed thick black smoke rising from the corporate’s plant within the city of Mukachevo, close to the border with Hungary.

Some 600 employees had been on the job when the missiles struck earlier than 5 a.m., mentioned Myroslav Biletskyi, head of the regional navy administration. Earlier than the assault, they heeded the air raid sirens and took cowl in safe areas, he famous, or the casualty toll would have been a lot increased. He mentioned about one-third of the large plant burned down.

“This enterprise solely produced family home equipment. It by no means produced any navy tools,” Biletskyi mentioned, including that Flex had been working on the website since 2012.

“Russia continues to destroy and humiliate U.S. companies in Ukraine, concentrating on firms that make investments and commerce on the U.S. inventory markets,” Andy Hunder, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, wrote on X. He mentioned the manufacturing facility was one of many largest U.S. investments in Ukraine by a personal firm.

Russia didn’t say why the plant was focused.

Russia assaults western Ukraine much less regularly than different areas. However the area was the main focus of Russia’s in a single day barrage of tons of of drones and missiles. Ukraine’s navy mentioned it shot down a lot of the incoming weapons, however some managed to get via. One civilian was killed in Lviv, the biggest metropolis in western Ukraine, the navy added.

Assault follows Trump’s diplomatic efforts

The Russian strikes come simply days after President Trump met individually with Zelenskyy in Washington and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in an try to launch peace negotiations.

Trump has instructed the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees, Air Pressure Gen. Dan Caine, to work on plans for safety ensures for Ukraine. Nonetheless, any U.S. function would doubtless be restricted to some type of air assist. Trump has made clear he would not need U.S. troops on the bottom in Ukraine, whilst peacekeepers after the warfare ends.

Caine has been speaking to counterparts in European nations. Some European states say they may ship troops sooner or later sooner or later, however the talks are nonetheless in a preliminary stage because the warfare rages on.

Ukrainians, in the meantime, imagine Putin continues to be decided to hold on with the preventing. Ukrainians need Western safety ensures, however many say they need to be ironclad.

“I strongly proceed to imagine that the one answer is NATO membership for Ukraine,” mentioned Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament who heads the International Affairs Committee. “This could cease the warfare. This could cease Putin’s aggression as a result of Putin is afraid of just one factor — NATO.”

Many Ukrainians share his place. Ukraine was initially promised a path to NATO membership in 2008, however there’s been no actual progress since, and Trump says it will not occur within the present surroundings.

Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has spoken of a assure that might resemble NATO’s Article 5 — which says an assault on one is an assault on all.

However Ukraine has had restricted safety guarantees up to now, and that hasn’t stopped Russia from invading twice, first in 2014 and once more on a a lot bigger scale in 2022.

Russia stays staunchly against Western troops in Ukraine. International Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated the nation’s place Wednesday, saying Russia ought to have veto energy over safety ensures for Ukraine. That will successfully make any such ensures meaningless.

Regardless of the latest flurry of diplomatic exercise, neither Russia nor Ukraine has indicated a willingness to make main concessions.

“At the moment second, the pursuits, positions and stances of Ukraine and Russia are diametrically opposed and so they can’t be reconciled,” mentioned Merezhko, the member of Ukraine’s parliament.