Russian forces launched a large-scale assault on Ukraine early Thursday, striking a United States-owned electronics factory and injuring at least 23 people, in a move Kyiv said showed Moscow’s lack of interest in peace.
The overnight barrage involved nearly 600 drones and 40 missiles, marking the heaviest attack since early July.
Strikes extended deep into western Ukraine, including Mukachevo in the Transcarpathia region, where an American-Singaporean firm, Flex, operates a production facility employing hundreds of civilians.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, saying the strike underscored Russia’s unwillingness to pursue a negotiated settlement. “If Putin rejects a bilateral summit with Ukraine’s leader, the U.S. should take strong measures,” Zelenskyy said, urging tougher sanctions and tariffs against those trading with Russia.
The assault came only days after U.S. President Donald Trump chaired two summits intended to pave the way for an end to the war, now in its fourth year.
Trump quipped on Truth Social: “It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia. Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND,” he wrote.
The Biden administration has restricted Ukraine’s access to certain weapons to avoid provoking Moscow, while Trump has periodically halted arms transfers, now requiring they be paid for.
While the White House maintains Moscow has agreed in principle to such a meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has repeatedly played down expectations.
