Russian missiles hit US-owned factory in Ukraine

A massive Russian air strike hit a US-owned electronics factory in Ukraine early Thursday while some 800 civilians were working there.

The Flex Ltd. plant in Mukachevo, a city hundreds of miles from the frontline, was engulfed with flames after being hit by two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles around 4:30 a.m., according to Ukrainian officials.

The factory was not involved in the war and was just one casualty as “hundreds of drones, as well as hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles, targeted civilian and energy infrastructure” in the latest Russian bombardment, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiha, wrote on X.

“One of the missiles hit a major American electronics plant in our westernmost region, causing severe damage and casualties. This is a completely civilian facility with no connection to defense or the military,” he added.

Dramatic photos and videos shared on social media show huge plumes of black smoke rising from the damaged plant.

Some 800 night-shift employees were on-site at the time, but had been moved to designated shelters once an air-raid sounded, according to reports.

At least 15 people were wounded in the strikes on Mukachevo, which is close to the borders with Hungary and Slovakia.

“This was an ordinary civilian facility with American investment,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in condemning the attack. “They produced everyday household items, such as coffee machines.”

Flex Ltd. is a Singaporean-American multinational manufacturing company with headquarters in Singapore and Austin, Texas.

The plant, which opened 13 years ago, employs more than 2,600 people and spans nearly 600,000 square feet.

It specializes in making plastic molding along with components for electrical equipment, coffee machines, printer cartridges, electronic price tags, and other products, Ukrainian outlet Dev.ua reports.

This marks the first Russian strike on Mukachevo since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia hit Ukraine with 574 drones and decoys, along with 40 missiles, on Wednesday night, mostly targeting western regions close to the European Union borders.

It comes days after President Trump met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska, later holding talks with Zelensky in Washington, as part of efforts to bring about a peace deal to end the three-year conflict.