Russian drones hit US company sites in Ukraine as White House stays silent

Strikes on US brands in Ukraine

Since late August, Russian drones and missiles have damaged facilities linked to several American consumer brands in Ukraine, according to Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (AmCham). He named Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and McDonald's, and CNN reported that sites of Mondelez, the owner of the Oreo brand, were also affected. Hunder said the attacks are direct strikes with drones and missiles, that they continue, and that they show Russia is targeting American companies. He said their intensity and frequency exceed anything seen before. The sequence of incidents and official statements is set out below.

What the companies have confirmed

PepsiCo confirmed damage at a production facility in the Mykolaiv region at the end of August and said no one was hurt. Early in September a Russian drone hit a Coca-Cola factory near Kyiv. On 3 September Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video that Russia had come to treat Coca-Cola as a major enemy, referring to Shahed drones, which were originally designed in Iran. Zelensky called the attack a clear signal from Russia to the United States and argued that Moscow could not have failed to know the target was American. McDonald's confirmed a drone attack on a warehouse run by its logistics partner in the Kyiv region on 25 September. Because the stock in the warehouse was destroyed, the chain temporarily restricted its menu in its Ukrainian restaurants. Zelensky also wrote on X that Russians used a drone to destroy a warehouse serving McDonald's later in September.

Washington's response

CNN reports that the Trump administration has not explicitly condemned the strikes, and Hunder said the White House had shown no reaction. AmCham asked in September for a meeting with the White House special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and the request went unanswered. The silence contrasts with Trump's repeated demands that Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil refineries, which he has linked to higher fuel prices on world markets. According to sources cited by CNN, Washington has threatened Kyiv with limiting intelligence sharing and halting ammunition deliveries if the refinery strikes do not stop. Asked about the matter, a White House representative gave only a brief statement.

Business divided and an open question

According to CNN's contacts, American businesses in Ukraine are split on whether to publicize the damage. Some fear further attacks or political fallout, while others want Washington to respond firmly. On Friday, 9 October, Trump announced an agreement on diesel deliveries from Russia and eased sanctions to make it possible. Whether Russia is aiming at these sites because of their links to US companies has not been proven, although Hunder regards the pattern as deliberate.