Donald Trump has called on Ukraine to “fight back” with a more offensive stance after Russia mounted one of the biggest aerial assaults since the start of the war.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s massive attack with 574 drones and 40 missiles – which also hit a US electronics manufacturer in west Ukraine – was a signal of Vladimir Putin’s “outrageous” intent.
He said the “deliberate strike” on US-owned electronics firm Flex was a “telling” indicator of Russia’s attitude to peace initiatives led by Mr Trump.
The aerial barrage on a region of Ukraine that has rarely faced such concentrated strikes was among Russia’s largest this year, coming as Moscow pushes back against key elements of peace proposals.
Mr Trump’s advice for Ukraine came as he launched a fiery tirade against his predecessor, Joe Biden, for not providing Ukraine with more weaponry it needs to “fight back.” He concluded by saying there were “interesting times ahead!”.
Russia orders state-backed WhatsApp rival to be pre-installed on phones
A Russian state-backed messaging application called MAX – billed as a rival to WhatsApp but criticised as a potential tool to track users – will have to be pre-installed on all mobile phones and tablets from next month, the Russian government announced on Thursday.
In a statement, the government said MAX – which will be integrated with official services – would feature on a list of mandatory pre-installed applications on all devices, including mobile phones and tablets, sold in Russia from 1 September.
State media dismissed accusations from Kremlin critics that MAX is a spying tool, claiming it requires fewer permissions to access user data than rivals WhatsApp and Telegram.
The move to promote MAX comes as Moscow seeks tighter control over the internet while locked in a standoff with the West over Ukraine, which it portrays as part of an effort to forge a new world order.
State media dismissed accusations from Kremlin critics that MAX is a spying tool, claiming it requires fewer permissions to access user data than rivals WhatsApp and Telegram.
It will also be mandatory that Russia’s domestic app store, RuStore, which is pre-installed on all Android devices, will be pre-installed on Apple devices.
The push to promote homegrown apps comes after Russia said this month it had started restricting some calls on WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, and on Telegram, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.
Trump urges Kyiv to ‘fight back’
US president Donald Trump has said on Truth Social that Ukraine should take a more offensive stance in its war with Russia, criticising former president Joe Biden for allowing Kyiv to “only defend.”
“It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense.
“There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia. Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out?
“Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President – ZERO CHANCE.”.
He signed off by saying there were “interesting times ahead”.
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Recap: American factory targeted in Russian drone strikes
Ukrainian officials have confirmed that Russian missiles struck an American enterprise in western Ukraine.
Zelensky said: “They used several cruise missiles against an American enterprise in Zakarpattia. It was an ordinary civilian enterprise, American investments. They produced such common household items as coffee machines. And this was also a target for the Russians.
“Very telling. The fire is still being extinguished at the enterprise. As of now, 15 people are known to have been injured in this strike. All of them have been provided with the necessary assistance.”
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha added: “One of the missiles struck a major American electronics manufacturer in our westernmost region, leading to serious damage and casualties.
“A fully civilian facility that has nothing to do with defence or the military. This is not the first Russian attack on American businesses in Ukraine, after strikes on Boeing offices in Kyiv earlier this year and other attacks.”
Recap: One killed and at least 18 injured in overnight strike on Ukraine
Russian overnight attack killed one person, injured at least 18, and struck a U.S. electronics manufacturer in western Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
A missile attack injured 15 people and destroyed storage facilities at the manufacturer in the town of Mukachevo, emergency services and local authorities in the western Zakarpattia region said.
National television showed the region’s governor Myroslav Biletskyi, standing near the building engulfed in smoke, who said the plant was producing consumer electronics, while Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strike in a post on X. “A fully civilian facility that has nothing to do with defense or the military,” he said.
“This is not the first Russian attack on American businesses in Ukraine, after strikes on Boeing offices in Kyiv earlier this year and other attacks.”
