Days ago, it was handshakes and talk of a “path to peace” in Alaska. Today, it is fire and smoke rising from the wreckage of an American-owned factory in western Ukraine.

In a brazen and violent rebuke to President Trump’s personal diplomacy, Russia has unleashed one of the largest aerial assaults of the war.

This move not only shatters the fragile optimism of the recent summit but also forces a profound constitutionaland strategic crisis for the United States, directly testing the President’s power as Commander-in-Chief.

In a brazen and violent rebuke to President Trump’s personal diplomacy, Russia has unleashed one of the largest aerial assaults of the war.

This move not only shatters the fragile optimism of the recent summit but also forces a profound constitutionaland strategic crisis for the United States, directly testing the President’s power as Commander-in-Chief.

At a Glance: The Post-Summit Escalation

• What’s Happening: Days after a peace summit with President Trump, Russia has launched one of the war’s largest aerial attacks on Ukraine, firing over 600 drones and missiles.
• The Key Target: The attack included a cruise missile strike on a major American-owned electronics factory (Flex Ltd) in western Ukraine, far from the front lines.
• The Reaction: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called it proof that Russia is not serious about peace and is engaging in “terror.”
• The Diplomatic Fallout: The attack is a direct and violent challenge to President Trump’s personal diplomatic efforts to end the war.
• The Constitutional Issue: The incident stress-tests the President’s Commander-in-Chief powers and highlights the constitutional division of war powersbetween the President and Congress.

A Barrage of Fire, A Factory in Ruins

The scale of the overnight Russian assault was immense, primarily targeting cities in western Ukraine that have been relatively safe for much of the war.

The most provocative strike hit an American business – a large electronics manufacturing plant owned by the Texas-based company Flex Ltd in the city of Mukachevo. Video from the scene showed a massive fire engulfing the facility.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted with fury and disbelief.

“Russia wasted several cruise missiles against an American business. [It was] a regular civilian enterprise producing domestic utilities, such as coffee machines. And that too became a target for Russia. Very telling.” – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy