Russia’s latest overnight strikes, which hit deep into Western Ukraine, hit the Flex electronics factory, injuring six employees.
Flex Ltd. is a Singaporean-American multinational manufacturing company founded in Silicon Valley in 1969 and was one of the first U.S. service manufacturers to offshore, opening a facility in Singapore, according to the company’s website.
Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, said after the strike that Russia’s war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has damaged more than half of the chamber’s roughly 600 member businesses in the country.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine by email for comment on Thursday.
Why It Matters
The future of Ukraine has come into sharper focus in recent weeks as U.S. President Donald Trump makes a push to achieve a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv. Trump met with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week in Alaska, followed by talks this week with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and some European leaders.
The U.S. has argued for the benefit of “economic security guarantees,” which aimed to tie the U.S. and Ukraine together by ensuring Washington remains “heavily invested in the economic future” of Ukraine.
During an appearance on Fox News in February, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained that “the more assets that U.S. companies have on the ground, the bigger interest that the U.S. has in the future Ukrainian economy doing well, the more security it creates for the Ukrainian people, and the higher the return for the U.S. taxpayer.”
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What To Know
Trump has questioned Putin’s desire to end the war, saying in April that he thinks it’s possible the Russian president “doesn’t want to stop the war” and has been “just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently.”
Hunder said about 600 nightshift employees were in the Flex factory during the strikes overnight Wednesday.
Russia has largely increased drone strikes month over month over the past year and peaked at more than 6,000 drones launched in July against Ukraine. However, Ukrainian defenses managed to block or deter most of the attacks, with only a small fraction hitting a target.
The most recent strike included 574 drones and 40 ballistic and cruise missiles overnight, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, mostly targeting western regions of Ukraine where much of military aid from Western allies is believed to be delivered and stored.
The strikes killed one person and injured 15 others, including the six factory employees.
“The message is clear: Russia is not looking for peace. Russia is attacking American business in Ukraine, humiliating American business,” Hunder told the Associated Press.
The factory stands far from the battlefront in eastern and southern Ukraine, and the attacks mark the deepest strikes into the embattled nation since the start of the war on February 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine and attempted to take control of Kyiv and other major cities.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted “enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex,” hitting factories, storage depots, missile launch sites and areas where Ukrainian troops were gathered. Defense officials denied targeting civilian areas.
What Is American Chamber of Commerce In Ukraine?
The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine describes itself as “a leading business association in Ukraine” that has “built a strong, trusted brand in Ukraine’s policymaking.” It is an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and part of the global AmChams in Europe network.
“We advocate for the betterment of the business climate, working closely with Ukrainian and U.S. Governments,” the group wrote on its website. “We deliver the shared voice of U.S., international and Ukrainian companies, who invested over $50 billion in Ukraine and are committed to this country.”
The Chamber of Commerce works to connect and grow businesses in the U.S. and overseas, advocating for strong policies to benefit businesses and keeping members apprised of policy advances as well as legal advice.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on X, in part: “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. This is very telling. The fire at the facility is still being extinguished. As of now, 15 people have been reported injured in the strike—all have received the necessary assistance.
“And the Russians carried out this attack as if nothing has changed at all, as if there are no global efforts to stop this war. This requires a response. There is still no signal from Moscow that they truly intend to engage in substantive negotiations and end this war. Pressure is needed. Strong sanctions, strong tariffs. I thank everyone who is helping.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on formulating security guarantees without Russia’s buy-in: “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.”
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Update 8/21/25, 2 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
