Ukraine's Foreign Minister revealed that Russia sent drones and missiles to attack the Sumy region in the northeast, damaging the Oreo cookie factory owned by American company Mondelēz for the second time since the war began. He also condemned drone attacks on ambulances that resulted in four deaths, stating the goal was to strike U.S. business interests.
Andrii Sybiga, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, disclosed on the X platform last Saturday (21 Feb) that Russian missiles struck a production plant of Mondelēz International, the U.S. food giant, located in Trostianets city in the Sumy region.
This factory is the production base for globally renowned brands such as Oreo cookies, Milka chocolate, and Toblerone. Sybiga noted that this was not a military target but a factory operating since the 1990s, employing Ukrainians and generating revenue for both Ukraine's and the U.S. economies.
The Foreign Minister added, "When Russian missiles strike places like this, they are not just targeting Ukraine but attacking American business interests in Europe." He emphasized that Moscow should not discuss economic negotiations with the U.S. while continuing to attack American company production facilities.
Beyond the industrial plant attack, Oleh Hryhorov, Governor of Sumy region, reported a tragic incident in Snob-Novhorodske, just 4 kilometers from the Russian border, where four people died from drone and missile attacks on 21 Feb.
The incident began when a pair of siblings were injured by explosives dropped from a drone. While an ambulance was transporting them to the hospital, Russian drones deliberately targeted the ambulance, resulting in the siblings' deaths, one of whom was only 17 years old. Additionally, a married couple also died in the same wave of attacks.
Trostianets city is located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border. It was occupied by Russian forces early in the full-scale war before Ukrainian troops recaptured it in March 2022. This marks the second time the factory has been damaged by Russian weapons.
Currently, Mondelēz, headquartered in Chicago, and the Russian government have not commented on the incident. Mondelēz has faced heavy criticism for continuing its business operations in the Russian market despite calls to withdraw in protest of the war.