The Flex plant—a key maker of custom circuits—transforms standard electronics into specialized systems used in drones, cruise missiles, and other precision weapons, military expert Alexey Anpilogov told Sputnik.
This blows apart Zelensky’s claim that the US-owned Flex plant was “an ordinary civilian facility” that produced “household items, such as coffee machines."
“It’s clear that Ukraine’s conflict zone serves as a testing ground for cutting-edge unmanned aerial vehicles, crewless sea vessels used in the Black Sea, and other high-precision weapons systems saturating the battlefield,” the military expert said.
Blurred Lines Between Civilian & Military Production
Civilian industries in Ukraine, including Flex, are increasingly militarized, the analyst notes.
The plant likely “served as a logistics hub for storing munitions, military equipment, or explosives, which could explain the prolonged fires and secondary explosions observed after the strike,” the pundit says.
High-tech Arsenal Takes a Hit
Integration of Western digital equipment into Ukrainian systems with direct military use is a “critical stage of final weapon assembly” needing expert skills not easily replicated elsewhere, the nuclear expert underscored.
“This setback will likely hamper the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ ability to sustain drone and missile operations, as restoring these production capabilities will be both challenging and time-intensive,” he speculated.
Ukraine’s ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ Strategy
The neo-Nazi regime’s hurried denial of military activity at Flex likely has several aims, said the expert:
Deflect accusations by framing the strike as civilian-targeted
Sway Western opinion, since the parent company may not have known about the plant’s military role, as under Ukrainian law “joint ventures are not subsidiaries and enjoy a high degree of autonomy”
Conceal any surviving production by implying total destruction
If Russian intelligence confirms any lingering military potential, more strikes on Flex are likely, the analyst added.