Key developments on Sept. 11: * Blinken, Lammy visit Ukraine as Kyiv awaits decision on long-range strikes * Russia claims counterattack against Ukraine in Kursk Oblast * Trump refuses to answer if he believes Ukraine's victory is in US interests * Russia claims drone attacks on Murmansk Oblast, 1,500 km from Ukraine * West
"If anyone is taking escalatory action, it would appear to be Mr Putin and Russia," Blinken said.
Their arrival comes amid mounting calls for the Biden administration to lift restrictions on long-range strikes deep inside Russia to allow Ukraine to better respond to Russian attacks.
U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the potential lifting of restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons is currently under consideration, Reuters reported on September 10.
At least 20 House Democrats and five House Republicans are calling on President Joe Biden to lift restrictions on Kyiv’s use of American long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russia, according to a letter sent to the president on Sept. 10 obtained and seen by the Kyiv Independent.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sept. 13 that he "fully anticipates" U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will discuss Ukraine's military needs when they meet on Friday, in response to a question about Kyiv's restrictions on long-range strikes inside Russia.
U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona and former finalist to be Kamala Harris's running mate, spoke with the Kyiv Independent and is the latest to say the limitations need to be reconsidered.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine's parliament, met with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson in Italy on Sept. 5 to discuss lifting restrictions on long-range Western weapons strikes deep into Russian territory.
Just before sunrise on an otherwise sleepy weekend near Moscow, a Russian eyewitness of Ukraine’s kamikaze drone attack on the Kashira Power Plant appeared stunned, unleashing an expletive-laden tirade with his wife alongside. "They f***g attacked the power plant! Wow, honey!" he said in a video posted on
Key developments on Aug. 28: * Ukrainian drones hit oil depots in Russia's Rostov, Kirov oblasts * Russian forces approaching town of Selydove in Donetsk Oblast, media reports * Ukraine has invested $7 billion in defense industry this year, Umerov says * Russia moves 90% of military planes beyond ATACMS range, US official claims
The U.K. backs the use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine for strikes deep inside Russia but will not pursue the call publicly, fearing disagreement with the U.S., The Telegraph reported on Aug. 28, citing undisclosed sources.
Russia has responded to Ukraine's acquisition of ATACMS by moving most of its aircraft beyond the missiles' range, the unnamed official told the WSJ, citing a new U.S. intelligence report.
It costs less than $1 million to produce each new Palianytsia, Fedorov told the Associated Press. The military aims to further decrease costs by collaborating with private companies.
A new video says that "almost everything about the Palianytsia is classified," but does reveal some new information.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine's new military advancements, particularly the Palianytsia missile, are a critical way for the country to act amid delays in decision-making by some of its international partners.
Some officials in Washington have told Kyiv the U.S. is keeping its restrictions on Ukraine using U.S.-made long-range weapons against Russian territory in order to not upend any future reset with Moscow, Politico reported, citing unnamed officials in the Biden administration.
One British government source told The Times that the request has been effectively "stuck in their (U.S.) system," while another called it a "routine U.S. process."
Key developments on Aug. 15: * Zelensky confirms full capture of Russian town of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast * US-Ukraine discussions about long-range cruise missiles 'in advanced stages,' source says * Ukraine captures over 100 Russian, Chechen soldiers in a day in Kursk Oblast, source says * Russian troops intensify activity near Krynky,
Discussions between Ukraine and U.S. President Joe Biden's administration about supplies of long-range cruise missiles are "in the advanced stages," a source close to President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration told the Kyiv Independent.
"If Ukraine could strike the enemy troops on their territory, from where they threaten Ukraine, then Ukraine would be in a much better position to protect itself," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.
The U.K. government did not give Ukraine permission to use its Storm Shadow long-range missiles in Kyiv's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, The Telegraph reported on Aug. 13, citing an undisclosed government source.
President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the British government at a Cabinet meeting on July 19, where he asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer to "show your leadership" in helping Ukraine use Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia.
“The fewer restrictions we have on the use of effective weapons, the more Russia will seek peace,” Zelensky said, addressing the Fourth European Political Community summit in the U.K. on July 18.
"Our country is in the crosshairs of American missiles located in Europe. We've been through all this before," he said in an interview with Russian TV propagandist Pavel Zarubin. "We have enough potential to deter these missiles. But the capitals of these states are potential victims."
The new weapon to be developed is an Extended-Range Attack Munition (ERAM), that aims to be a low-cost, quick to produce air-launched missile with a range of around 460 kilometers. The manufacture of the weapon is intended to begin no later than two years after the awarding of the contract and up to 1,000 are to be produced each year.
France, Germany, Italy, and Poland announced on July 11 that they agreed to develop ground-launched cruise missiles with a range beyond 500 kilometers (around 310 miles), Reuters reported.
Russian Defense Ministry claimed on June 23 that Ukraine had launched an attack against Sevastopol, a city in Russian-occupied Crimea, with five U.S.-made long-range ATACMS missiles.
"A batch of" Storm Shadow missiles and another SAMP/T air defense system will reportedly be included in the ninth aid package for Ukraine, which Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto will present by the end of June, Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano reported on June 18, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Last month Washington finally allowed Kyiv to use some U.S.-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia, but only across the border from Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts.
Washington will "adapt and adjust as necessary" its ban on allowing Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied weapons, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on May 29.
"The war in Ukraine has shown how important it is to be able to hit targets located even very far from the front line," the Polish Defense Ministry said.
U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps on May 19 urged Berlin and other allies to send long-range missiles to Ukraine and to allow Kyiv to hit facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea.
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