4 killed in northeastern Ukraine as Russia strikes ambulance carrying minor hospitalized in blast, targets Mondelez factory
on Google
A Russian drone attack in northeastern Ukraine's Sumy Oblast killed two brothers and a married couple, while a missile strike damaged a production facility belonging to U.S. multinational company Mondelez, authorities reported Feb. 21.
Four were killed in Znob-Novhorodske, less than four kilometers (about 2.5 miles) from Ukraine's border with Russia.
Two brothers were first injured by an explosive device dropped by a drone and taken to the hospital, Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported.
"On the way to the hospital, the Russians deliberately attacked the emergency vehicle with a strike drone," he added.
The second Russian strike killed the two siblings.
One of the two brothers was a minor at 17 years old, and a married couple was also killed in Russian strikes, leaving four people killed in Sumy Oblast, Hryhorov said.
Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike targeted a production facility belonging to the U.S. multinational food giant, Mondelez, in Trostyanets.
"This is not a military target, but a factory that has operated since the 1990s, producing globally known brands, employing Ukrainians, contributing to our and American economy," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post to X.
Trostyanets is located just 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Ukraine's border with Russia and was occupied by Russian forces in the early days of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, being liberated in March 2022.
"When Russian missiles hit such sites, they are not only targeting Ukraine. They are targeting American business interests in Europe," Sybiha said. "Moscow cannot speak of economic dialogue with the United States while attacking U.S.-owned production facilities."
As Washington continues efforts to broker a peace deal, the U.S. and Russia have agreed to establish an economic working group in addition to political and military negotiations between the two countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Al Arabiya on Feb. 18.
Mondelez is known for its household names, including Oreo, Milka, and Toblerone. The company has not left the Russian market despite calls to do so.
Russia regularly strikes Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings and energy infrastructure, as it continues to wage its war.
