Photo of Philip Morris factory in Kharkiv shown in US Senate as evidence of Russian attacks on American businesses
During the US Senate’s consideration of Senator Lindsey Graham’s bill to tighten sanctions against Russia, Senator Jeanne Shaheen cited the strike on the Philip Morris factory in Kharkiv as an example of Russian attacks on American businesses in Ukraine.
In her speech, Shaheen stressed that Russia had long been deliberately attacking civilian infrastructure in an attempt to break the will of Ukrainians and was also striking American companies operating in Ukraine.
During her remarks, the senator displayed a photograph of the Philip Morris factory in Kharkiv, which was damaged in a Russian attack, and said:
"This is a rescuer at the Philip Morris factory in Kharkiv. They have attacked Coca-Cola, Cargill, Mondelēz and other American companies in deliberate strikes."
Shaheen also said that during meetings with representatives of American businesses operating in Ukraine, they expressed their belief that Russian strikes on their facilities had been deliberate.
According to the senator, economic pressure is the only language the Kremlin understands, and Congress must therefore support the bill imposing new sanctions on Russia and Iran.
"President Zelenskyy supports this bill. Anything that reduces Russia’s revenue diminishes its ability to continue its war against Ukraine," Jeanne Shaheen stressed, urging her colleagues to support the legislation in a bipartisan vote.
During the speech, a photograph of the Philip Morris factory in Kharkiv taken after the Russian strike on the facility was displayed on the screen. The senator used the example to illustrate that Russian aggression targets not only Ukrainian civilian infrastructure but also international businesses that continue to operate in Ukraine.
As reported, on 29 July, the US Senate backed Lindsey Graham’s bill on sanctions against Russia in a procedural vote.
Philip Morris is one of the largest American investors in Ukraine. Since 1994, the company has invested more than USD 750 million in Ukraine’s economy.
In the first half of 2026, the company paid UAH 31.7 billion in taxes and was the largest taxpayer in Ukraine.
The Philip Morris factory in Kharkiv, Ukraine, has remained suspended since February 24, 2022 – the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
In 2024, Philip Morris Ukraine opened a new factory in the Lviv region, investing USD 30 million in its launch. Some 250 employees from the Kharkiv factory were relocated to work at the new facility.
On the night of 8 July 2026, a Russian attack completely destroyed Philip Morris Ukraine’s finished-goods warehouse in Kyiv. It was the fourth strike on the company’s facilities since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
