Kyiv (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Ukraine says Russia struck a US electronics plant in Mukachevo with drones and missiles, causing one death and 15 injuries in a major attack.
As reported by The Telegraph, Ukraine said Russia targeted a US business with cruise missiles, marking one of the war’s largest attacks.
What did Ukraine’s air force report about the overnight strikes?
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 574 drones and 40 missiles overnight, striking western regions far from the main eastern and southern front lines. The attack marked Russia’s third-largest drone strike and eighth-largest missile assault this year.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the strikes killed one and injured 15, hitting a major American electronics firm.
He added,
“No military logic or necessity, just terror against people, businesses, and normal life in our country.”
A video showed a large fire at the premises of Flex Ltd, a Texas-based multinational. The firm produces electronics, including gaming consoles, laptops, and vehicle control units.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s views on the recent attack and Russia’s approach to peace talks
The strike followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with US President Donald Trump. Mr Putin demanded that Ukraine withdraw from the entire Donetsk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack unfolded “as if nothing were changing at all.”
He warned that Moscow shows no interest in peace and called on Ukraine’s allies to respond with stronger sanctions and pressure.
Mr Zelensky said Russia “wasted several cruise missiles on an American business,” highlighting that the civilian enterprise produced household goods like coffee machines, adding, “And that too became a target for Russia. Very telling.”
Ukraine reported striking a Russian oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk and a fuel depot in Voronezh.
The Ukrainian president said Ukraine tested the long-range Flamingo missile, capable of striking targets up to 3,000km, allowing potential deep strikes inside Russia. He said large-scale production may begin at the start of next year.
Zelensky’s stance on the timeline and conditions for a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump
Ukraine will meet with allies on Thursday to outline security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire. Mr Zelensky said he expects concrete plans to take shape over the next ten days, after which he would be ready to meet Mr Putin.
After their Washington meeting on Monday, August 18, Zelensky and Trump proposed a trilateral meeting, but Mr. Putin suggested a one-on-one meeting with the Ukrainian leader first, possibly in Moscow.
Mr Zelensky rejected the idea, while European officials are pushing for a neutral location, such as Geneva=
He said,
“We want to have an understanding of the security guarantees architecture within seven to 10 days. And based on that understanding, we aim to hold a trilateral meeting. That was my logic.”
Mr Zelensky added,
“President Trump suggested a slightly different logic: a trilateral meeting through a bilateral one,”
he continued.
“But then we all agreed that, in any case, we continue working on the security guarantees, establishing this approximate framework, similar to Article 5. And what we have today is political support for this.”
Under Article 5, NATO guarantees that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
Sergei Lavrov’s views on Russia’s role in Ukraine
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine’s security arrangements require Kremlin involvement.
He said,
“We cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve collective security issues without the Russian Federation. This will not work. We have already explained more than once that Russia does not overstate its interests, but we will ensure our legitimate interests firmly and harshly.”
Mr Sergei added,
“First, China did not help us stop this war from the start. Second, China assisted Russia by opening its drone market… We do not need guarantors who do not help Ukraine and did not help Ukraine at the time when we really needed it.”
How were workers affected in the Mukachevo, Zakarpattia U.S. factory strike?
The Russian strike on an American business in Mukachevo, Zakarpattia, Ukraine, sparked a major fire and injured 15 of the 600 workers inside. Air raid sirens rang through Kyiv overnight while explosions were reported in Lviv and Zaporizhzhia.
The Texas electronics firm Flex has a factory in Mukachevo, but it has not been confirmed whether it was targeted.
Earlier this year, Boeing’s offices in Kyiv were targeted, marking the first U.S. business hit by Russian attacks.
Officials in Washington said its minerals deal with Ukraine would protect the country, warning that Moscow would not risk attacking American investments.
What did Donald Trump say about his talks on Ukraine and potential meetings with Putin and Zelensky?
President Trump called the meeting with Ukraine-Russia leaders, along with European nations’ heads, on Monday, “very good” on his Truth Social platform
He said,
“During the meeting we discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, which guarantees would be provided by the various European countries, in coordination with the United States of America.”
Mr Trump stated,
“Everyone is happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine. At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin and began arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky.”
He added,
“After the meeting takes place, we will have a trilat which would be the two presidents plus myself. We also need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory, taken into consideration the current line of contact.”
European leaders’ stance on Ukraine’s security and the path to peace
A joint statement from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission stated,
“We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.”
They added,
“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.”
Ukraine-Russia war
The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Russia attacked Kyiv, eastern, and southern regions from Russia, Belarus, and Crimea.
Russian forces have suffered over 1 million casualties, including up to 250,000 deaths.
Ukraine’s military has faced around 400,000 total casualties, with 60,000–100,000 killed.