This month, 1,000 people chose to support the Kyiv Independent. Can we count on you, too?
Become a member
Skip to content
Edit post

Zaluzhnyi on Ukrainian strikes inside Russia: 'It is up to us to decide how to kill this enemy'

by Dinara Khalilova July 14, 2023 11:27 PM 2 min read
General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as seen in his office in the building of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 28, 2023. (Oksana Parafeniuk/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

In an interview with the Washington Post, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, defended his army's right to strike Russian soil, adding that such attacks are carried out only with Ukraine-made weapons.

"This is our problem, and it is up to us to decide how to kill this enemy. It is possible and necessary to kill on its territory in a war," Zaluzhnyi told the WP. "If our partners are afraid to use their weapons, we will kill with our own. But only as much as is necessary."

When providing Ukraine with arms, Western allies have demanded that Kyiv doesn't use their weaponry to strike targets inside Russia due to fears of further escalation. Kyiv has rarely claimed responsibility for such attacks.

"To save my people, why do I have to ask someone for permission what to do on enemy territory?" Zaluzhnyi said in the interview published on July 14. "For some reason, I have to think that I'm not allowed to do anything there. Why? Because (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin will … use nuclear weapons? The kids who are dying don't care."

According to Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine still lacks resources to liberate all the occupied territories and minimize casualties. Speaking with the Washington Post, he criticized those who say Ukraine doesn't need F-16 fighter jets, adding that Kyiv's Western allies would never fight like this.

Zaluzhnyi also reiterated Ukraine's goal to liberate Russian-occupied Crimea despite concerns over Putin's potential response voiced by some Western officials.

"As soon as I have the means, I'll do something. I don't give a damn — nobody will stop me," Zaluzhnyi said.

Zaluzhnyi: Counteroffensive underequipped but advances daily
Ukrainian forces are advancing “at least 500 meters” every day in the counteroffensive despite the lack of crucial hardware like F-16 fighter jets, the Ukrainian armed forces’ commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said in an interview the Washington Post published on June 30.
Let’s see how far we can go?
We’ve been amazed by your support. We’ve reached our initial goal of finding 1,000 new paying members. We still have till the end of our birthday campaign — with more support, we can do even more good journalism. Over 13,000 people are standing behind us. Can we count on you, too?
Show us support this birthday month
Become a member
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

5:55 PM

Russian court sentences Crimean resident to 15 years for alleged state treason.

A Russian-controlled court in occupied Crimea sentenced a 33-year-old local resident to 15 years in a strict regime colony on charges of state treason, Russia's prosecutor's office reported on Dec. 9. The man was accused of transmitting information about the movement of Russian military equipment to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.