ISW: Russia Targets U.S. Flex Plant in Mukachevo to Deter Investment
Russia’s recent missile strike on the American company Flex in Mukachevo, western Ukraine, was intended to discourage U.S. and European allies from investing in the country.
The Gaze reports this, referring to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
In its latest assessment, ISW noted that Moscow likely prepared the attack for weeks, building up stockpiles of drones and missiles while presenting itself as a constructive partner in negotiations with Washington.
“Russia likely struck the "Flex" enterprise to discourage the United States and Ukraine's European allies from investing in Ukraine or opening businesses within Ukraine,” ISW analysts wrote.
The think tank observed that in the lead-up to the summit, Russia had carried out smaller-scale strikes to appear as a “good-faith participant” in diplomatic talks. However, following the meeting, Moscow resumed large-scale attacks by deploying the weapons it had stockpiled.
“The size and composition of the August 20-21 strike package suggest that Russia successfully stockpiled significant numbers of both drones and missiles in the lead-up to the Alaska summit. Russian forces most recently launched Kalibr cruise missiles on July 21 and Kinzhals on August 4, suggesting that efforts to stockpile these munitions allowed Russia to use them in greater quantities during the August 20-21 strike series,” the ISW’s statement reads.
On August 21, Russian forces launched two Kalibr cruise missiles at the Flex facility in Mukachevo, sparking a fire that burned for 14 hours before being contained. The strike injured at least 23 people, according to prosecutors. Nearly 2,600 specialists were employed at the plant.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce condemned the attack, saying it demonstrated that Moscow is not pursuing peace but rather directly targeting American economic interests in Ukraine.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Russia unleashed one of its heaviest air assaults in recent weeks overnight on August 21, targeting multiple regions of Ukraine with waves of drones and missiles.