President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine has successfully tested its first domestically produced ballistic missile.
“We had a successful test of the first Ukrainian ballistic missile. I want to congratulate our military-industrial complex on this achievement,” Zelenskyy said during a press conference on Tuesday, following the Ukraine 2024 Independence Forum held in Kyiv.
Earlier, on Saturday, Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine also successfully carried out the first combat use of its domestically-produced Palianytsia long-range missile drone.
“This drone was designed in Ukraine to destroy the enemy’s offensive capabilities,” Zelenskyy shared on X, along with a video showcasing the drone. The video described the missile drone as being powered by a turbojet engine and launched from a ground-based platform.
Specific details about Palianytsia’s capabilities have not been disclosed, but a Ukrainian military video suggested that it has a range of up to 700 kilometers, similar to the US-supplied ATACMS. The video also indicated that the Palianytsia could potentially reach up to 20 Russian airfields, including Russia’s Savasleyka air base, which falls within that range.
While the US and other Western allies have supplied Ukraine with long-range weapons, they have restricted their use deep into Russian territory to avoid escalating the conflict. Ukraine is permitted to target border regions but seeks the capability to strike deeper into Russia.
Regarding Ukraine’s ongoing operation in Russia’s border region of Kursk, Zelenskyy denied that Kyiv has “occupied” Russian territory.
“This is a defensive operation. We are creating buffer zones to prevent further occupation of our land. Russia has already occupied 27 percent of our territory, and we are doing everything to stop them from taking more,” Zelenskyy stated.
He added that Kyiv’s actions in Kursk have halted Russian advances in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region and claimed that Russia had similar offensive plans for Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
Zelenskyy described Kyiv’s operations in Kursk as “part of Ukraine’s victory plan,” which he plans to present to US President Joe Biden next month. He also mentioned that the plan should be shared with both Kamala Harris and former US President Donald Trump, acknowledging the uncertainty over who will be the next US president.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s army chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, reported that Kyiv’s forces now control 1,294 square kilometers and 100 settlements in Kursk, and have taken 594 Russian soldiers prisoner during the three-week incursion.
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