KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian missile struck an American-owned electronics factory in the far western Ukrainian town of Mukachevo early Thursday, wounding at least 15 people and causing significant damage, according to Ukrainian officials.
The factory, widely reported by Ukrainian media to be part of the global electronics manufacturer Flex, became the latest civilian site targeted as Russia launched one of its most extensive aerial assaults since the war began. Ukraine’s military reported that Moscow unleashed more than 570 drones and 40 missiles in an overnight barrage, most directed toward the country’s western regions.
Civilian Enterprise Under Fire
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike on social media, describing the plant as “an ordinary civilian enterprise, an American investment,” noting it produced household appliances such as coffee machines. He condemned the attack, writing that Russia carried it out “as if nothing had changed at all, as if there were no international efforts to stop this war.”
Videos circulating online showed heavy black smoke rising above the Mukachevo facility, which sits near Ukraine’s border with Hungary. While Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted the majority of incoming projectiles, some broke through, killing one civilian in Lviv, the region’s largest city.
Flex, which has dual headquarters in Austin, Texas, and Singapore and operates more than 100 factories worldwide, did not immediately comment on the strike.
Broader Diplomatic Tensions
The escalation comes only days after U.S. President Donald Trump met separately with both Zelenskyy in Washington and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in a bid to advance peace negotiations. Trump has directed Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to coordinate with European allies on potential security guarantees for Ukraine.
Trump, however, has ruled out deploying American troops to Ukraine, even as peacekeepers after the war. Instead, discussions have centered on limited air support or NATO-style security assurances. European nations remain divided, with some signaling openness to future troop deployments but cautioning that talks remain in the preliminary stage.
NATO Membership at the Center of Debate
For many Ukrainians, the latest assault reinforces the belief that only NATO membership can provide lasting security. “This would stop the war. This would stop Putin’s aggression because Putin fears only NATO,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, head of Ukraine’s parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee.
Ukraine was first promised eventual NATO membership in 2008, yet little progress has been made since. Trump has stated that membership remains off the table under current circumstances. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, has floated the idea of security guarantees resembling NATO’s Article 5, which obligates collective defense in the event of an attack.
Skepticism remains high, however. Previous Western security assurances failed to deter Russian invasions in 2014 and 2022. Moscow has consistently rejected any foreign troop presence in Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisting Russia should hold veto power over any security arrangements, a condition Kyiv views as unacceptable.
No End in Sight
Despite renewed diplomatic maneuvering, the fundamental divide between Moscow and Kyiv remains unchanged. “At the present moment, the interests, positions, and stances of Ukraine and Russia are diametrically opposed and cannot be reconciled,” Merezhko said.
The airstrike on the American-owned factory underscores how the conflict continues to expand its reach, even into Ukraine’s far west, once considered safer from Russia’s campaign of destruction.
