Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Western allies to agree on a concrete plan for security guarantees within 7-10 days as Russia massively stepped up its aerial bombardment.
Russia's aerial attack on August 21 was the largest this month so far, according to the Ukrainian authorities.
The strikes came days after US President Donald Trump hosted Zelenskyy and European leaders to try to push forward peace negotiations.
“This war must end. We must put pressure on Russia to stop fighting,” Zelenskyy said in his daily video address, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin “only understands force and pressure.”
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 574 drones and 40 missiles at multiple regions, causing civilian casualties and significant damage to residential areas and infrastructure.
A US-owned manufacturing plant was hit at Mukachevo, in the Zakarpattya region near Ukraine's western border.
The governor of the Zakarpattya region, Myroslav Biletskiy, said the plant is a civilian enterprise producing mostly household goods. He added that it was hit by two Kalibr missiles, causing a fire that spread over an area of 7,000 square meters.
Conor Phillips, public relations director of the damaged Flex Ltd. plant, said the facility does not produce, supply, or support any military equipment and is “strictly focused on civilian consumer manufacturing,” including products such as coffee machines.
“A few employees and contractors were injured, and six individuals remain in hospital and are receiving medical care,” Phillips said in a statement.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the Mukachevo attack caused serious damage and casualties and that the strikes were "contrary to all efforts to end the war."
Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, said it was a "truly horrendous" Russian missile attack on one of the largest American investments in Ukraine.
"This was not only an attack on Ukraine. It was an attack on American business," Hunder said on X. "Russia is not only devastating Ukraine -- it is destroying and humiliating American business."
Hunder said 600 employees were working the night shift at the factory when two missiles struck it. Lives were saved thanks to strict safety protocols, he said, adding that the region had been considered the safest in Ukraine, but that was no longer the case.
"We call on President Trump to stand with American business and to confront Vladimir Putin’s campaign of destruction," Hunder said.
In a social media post on August 21, Trump criticized former President Joe Biden for not providing Ukraine with more weaponry.
“It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders (sic) country,” Trump said. “It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offensive. There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia.”
At the Washington talks on August 18 it was agreed that a plan would be worked out for post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, led by European countries but with US support.
US and European military planners have since begun meetings to explore what the overall security package could be ahead of a final decision on it by political leaders.
The chiefs of defense for the United States, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, and Ukraine met in Washington from Aug. 19-21. US and European planners developed military options for "appropriate consideration" by allied national security advisers, the Pentagon said in a statement on August 21.
On August 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said any presence of European troops in Ukraine would be "absolutely unacceptable," calling them "foreign intervention in some part of Ukrainian territory."
A day earlier he said the issue of security in Ukraine cannot be discussed without Russia.
Could Putin And Zelenskyy Meet?
The Washington talks also made a call for Putin to meet Zelenskyy for face-to-face talks.
Lavrov told reporters on August 21 that Putin has repeatedly said he is ready to meet Zelenskyy, but there are some issues that need to be resolved before such a meeting could happen.
"Of course, I hope when and if it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person signing these agreements on the Ukrainian side will be resolved," Lavrov emphasized.
Putin has questioned the legitimacy of Zelenskyy over the postponement of elections in Ukraine due to the war.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said on August 21 that he aimed for a trilateral meeting including Trump.
"We want to have an understanding of the security guarantees architecture within seven to 10 days. And based on that understanding, we aim to hold a trilateral meeting," he said.
"If the Russians are not ready, then we would like to see a strong reaction from the United States," Zelenskyy stressed.
Andriy Zhupanin, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service that the Kremlin's refusal to participate would signal to Western countries that Moscow is not seeking an end to the war.
"It is important to show Donald Trump that it is not us who are stringing him along," he added.
