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Russian drones struck and damaged a Coca-Cola plant outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Officials said there were no injuries in the strike near the town of Brovary, just east of the capital.
“Today, the Russians have hit a Coca-Cola plant with their drone. Coca-Cola is such an enemy that they set it on fire with their Shaheds,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address, referring to Iranian-designed drones.
“It’s a clear Russian signal to America. The Russians cannot be unaware that this is an American facility.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney says if Russian President Vladimir Putin attends this year’s G20 summit in Miami, his message to Putin will be ‘get out of Ukraine.’
Reuters TV footage showed firefighting crews arriving at the scene and smoke rising above the plant and over nearby fields.
Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, said the plant’s staff were uninjured.
“The company is working with the relevant authorities to assess the situation,” Hunder told Reuters. “Ensuring the safety and well-being of people remains top priority.”
A spokesperson for the Coca-Cola Company told CBC News via email that the Ukrainian plant is owned by Coca-Cola HBC, which is an independent bottler.
Coca-Cola HBC did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the neighbouring nations have been in a state of all-out war ever since.
