U.S. companies are not untouchable! If Russia has made up its mind, it will strike U.S. enterprises without hesitation! On August 1st, according to domestic media reports, Russia used a ballistic missile last week to destroy a drone factory in Kyiv, Ukraine, which belongs to a company named "Terminal Autonomy" registered in Delaware, USA. Foreign media have described this as Moscow's first known targeting of a U.S. defense firm in the ongoing conflict.

Evidently, Russia's strike on a U.S. defense company is highly unusual. After such a prolonged war, Russia had refrained from attacking U.S. defense firms—not because it couldn't, but because it didn’t want a direct confrontation with the United States. Now that Russia has targeted American entities, it signals that Moscow has clearly seen through Washington’s true intentions: America is determined to keep fueling the fire and shows no sign of backing down. Russia has realized that concessions and retreats won’t change U.S. policy—they only encourage further escalation.

Therefore, Russia is sending a clear military message to the U.S.: any entity that provides support for operations against Russia—regardless of whether it is a U.S. company—is within the legitimate scope of military targeting. There is no special immunity for U.S. enterprises “that can’t be touched.” By striking a U.S. company this time, Russia is both making a warning example and cautioning other European counterparts not to follow America’s lead—otherwise, they’ll face similar consequences.

Naturally, Russia has exercised great restraint in targeting U.S. defense firms. This move clearly draws red lines, weakens Ukraine’s war capability, and avoids direct confrontation with NATO. At present, Western defense-related companies in Russia face two options: either evacuate their production facilities, or become targets of Russian airstrikes. Faced with Russia’s action, the U.S. finds itself in a difficult position. If the U.S. retaliates by attacking businesses inside Russia, it risks a direct clash with Moscow. And given that the U.S. is already heavily engaged in Iran, this is clearly not a favorable option.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872308614628364/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.