Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again urgently called on the West to supply longer-range weapons, following the advance of his troops in the Russian region of Kursk.
The capability of the Ukrainian armed forces to use such weapons against Russia is the most important strategic issue of this war, Zelensky said in his evening video message released in Kiev on Saturday.
At the moment, he asserted, there is a lack of necessary decisions from the Western allies. He cited the example of the United Kingdom, which he claimed has become slower to act.
The courage and resilience of the Ukrainian soldiers are currently compensating for the hesitation of the Western partners. “And we could effectively take away every opportunity for the occupier to advance and cause damage if our long-range capabilities were sufficient,” Zelensky added.
He has repeatedly demanded permission to use rockets and cruise missiles against targets in Russia. Currently, there are restrictions on this.
The world has seen how effectively Ukraine defends its independence and it needs further assistance, said Zelensky.
Zelensky referenced again a conversation with the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, who informed him about further progress in the Russian region of Kursk.
“The operation is unfolding exactly as we expected. The bravery of the Ukrainians is achieving great things. Now we are strengthening our positions,” said Zelensky.
He also mentioned again that Ukraine is capturing more and more Russian prisoners of war in the Kursk area to replenish the number for the next exchange with Russia. The goal is to bring soldiers and civilians home from Russian captivity.
According to the latest information from Kiev, Ukraine controls more than 80 villages and 1,500 square kilometres of area in the Kursk region.
These claims from the warring parties cannot be independently verified. Experts estimate about half the figures mentioned by Kiev.
Approximately 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers are deployed in the Kursk region.
Zelensky intends, with the offensive that began on August 6, to increase the pressure on Moscow to end the fighting through negotiations after almost two and a half years of the full-scale Russian invasion.
However, from the Russian perspective, such negotiations seem even more distant due to the Ukrainian offensive.
