Russian drones and missiles have struck facilities linked to several major American companies in Ukraine, raising concerns among business leaders that Moscow may be deliberately targeting US commercial interests, the New York Times reported.
According to the report, recent Russian strikes have hit or damaged facilities tied to Cargill, Coca-Cola, Boeing, Mondelez, Philip Morris, Bunge and Flex Ltd.
One of the latest attacks took place in mid-April, when seven Russian drones struck a grain terminal in southern Ukraine owned by US farming giant Cargill within three minutes, according to a video obtained and verified by the NYT.
The strikes on Cargill and Coca-Cola had not been previously reported, the outlet said.
The motive for the attacks remains unclear. Some Ukrainian business figures told the NYT the strikes may be part of Russia’s broader campaign to damage Ukraine’s economy, while others said Moscow may be trying to discourage US investment as Kyiv seeks to expand business ties with Washington.
Representatives of several American companies, including Coca-Cola, Cargill and Bunge, raised concerns about the strikes during a February meeting with a bipartisan group of US senators visiting Ukraine.
“Listening to several of them, they said they believed they were being intentionally struck,” Senatir Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the NYT.
Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, said Russia appeared to be trying to scare off US business.
The Trump administration has not publicly condemned the attacks disclosed by Ukraine this year, according to the report. A State Department spokesperson told the NYT that Washington had “urged both sides to refrain from targeting US business interests.”