Russian missiles and drones have struck facilities linked to major American companies in Ukraine in recent months, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine. The White House has not publicly addressed these attacks even as the Trump administration presses Ukraine to halt its strikes on Russian refineries over concerns about effects on American consumers.
Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, said the recent strikes differ from earlier Russian actions aimed at American business. “This is a direct hit with drones and missiles, and they keep hitting them. It’s sending a message that they’re targeting American business. We’re not seeing any response from the White House,” he told CNN. He added that the attacks need to end because they hit American interests, American money, and American investors.
Hunder listed damage to sites connected to Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, and Oreo. He described the pattern as something new compared with past efforts to deter successful American companies in the country.
Strikes damage Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and PepsiCo sites
A Russian drone hit a Coca-Cola factory outside Kyiv in early September. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike a clear message to the United States.
“Today, the Russians struck a Coca-Cola plant with a drone. Coca-Cola has become such an enemy to them that they’re burning it down with their Shaheds,” he said in his September 3 nightly video address, referring to Iranian-designed drones. He continued, “This is a clear signal from Russia to America. The Russians cannot possibly be unaware that this is an American enterprise.”
Later in the month, an attack drone destroyed a warehouse used by McDonald’s. Zelensky posted on X that the Russians used “an attack drone” against ordinary food products. “The Russians are constantly expanding their escalation operation: American and other businesses, data centers, internet providers – for Russia, ordinary life in and of itself is simply a target,” he wrote.
McDonald’s Ukraine confirmed the damage in a statement. “A warehouse operated by one of our logistics partners in the Kyiv region was damaged in a drone attack on 25 September,” the company said. Restaurants have since offered a reduced menu because of the strike. PepsiCo stated in late August that a production facility in the Mykolaiv region was damaged, though no one was hurt.
U.S. companies on the ground do not all take the same approach to discussing the hits. A former senior State Department official told CNN there is no shared view on how much they want to talk publicly or note repeated targeting. Hunder said some businesses want the Chamber to raise the issue while others prefer to move carefully.
Democratic lawmakers in Congress have publicly urged the White House to do more to protect American businesses in Ukraine and to speak out about Moscow’s actions. Ukrainian officials have pointed to the strikes as further reason for stronger defense aid so they can better shield those companies.
President Trump did comment publicly in August 2025 after a Russian strike on a U.S. electronics factory. He said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin he was “not happy about it.”
A White House official stated that Trump “wants the war to stop entirely so the senseless killing ends.” The official added that the president and his team remain committed to a constructive role in ending the war and that he remains optimistic a peace deal can be reached. The United States is “the only country in the world” that can speak with both sides toward that goal, the official said.
The limited public response to the business strikes stands apart from the administration’s warnings about Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. In February, the administration warned Kyiv that strikes on a Russian Black Sea oil facility late last year had affected U.S. investments in Kazakhstan, CNN reported. More recently, Trump has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel facilities for higher fuel prices, which have also risen because of the U.S.-Iran war.
Last Friday, Trump announced a deal that waives sanctions so the United States can buy diesel from Russia, even though the move runs against U.S. law. Sources told CNN the United States threatened to limit intelligence sharing and munitions for Ukraine if Kyiv does not stop those strikes.
Hunder said the relative silence is hard to understand given the administration’s emphasis on supporting American business. “Any company, any business, wants to have some sort of protection. You would expect your government to stand up in your corner and fight the fight with you, especially if it’s a foreign military that is attacking the American companies,” he said.
A former senior State Department official said many people in official Washington believe only Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner should discuss Ukraine, and that others should stay out of the issue. That view makes it harder to draw attention to the attacks on U.S. companies, the official noted. People also should not expect an explanation for the silence, the official said.
The American Chamber of Commerce sent a message last month asking for a meeting with Witkoff and Kushner to update them on the state of U.S. business in Ukraine, including the latest strikes. “We didn’t get any response on that,” Hunder said.
Published: Oct 14, 2026 09:15 am