[ad_1]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country had successfully tested a domestically-made ballistic missile, as the country aims to turn the tide of the war against Russia with the help of more advanced weapons.
Zelensky made the announcement at a forum in Kyiv on Tuesday, but did not provide any further details beyond congratulating Ukraine's defense industry on the project.
The military has hinted at possessing such weapons in the past.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustam Umarov said on Monday, after a large-scale attack by Russian drones and missiles, that Ukraine had developed domestically-made long-range weapons.
Over the weekend, Zelenskyy presented another Ukrainian weapon, the Balianitsya high-speed combat drone with jet engines.
Zelensky said on Tuesday that Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets were used in defense against heavy Russian attacks this week.
Putin also again urged his allies to remove restrictions on how Ukraine can use weapons they supply, such as long-range missiles capable of hitting targets inside Russian territory.
Ukraine briefs NATO on air defense needs
NATO is scheduled to meet with Umarov via video link to discuss the country's air defence needs in response to recent heavy Russian air strikes.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called a meeting on Wednesday at Ukraine's request, NATO spokesman Farah Dakhlallah said in a statement.
Dakhlallah said the meeting of NATO ambassadors to the alliance comes after deadly Russian attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Ukraine on Monday and Tuesday.
Dakhlullah said Umarov would brief allied representatives on “the situation on the battlefield and priority capability needs,” adding that NATO was “committed to further strengthening Ukraine’s defenses.”
Zelensky: Dialogue with Putin would be 'meaningless'
Zelensky also said Tuesday in Kyiv that peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be “empty” and “meaningless.”
“The world is waiting for Ukraine to present a settlement plan on how to end the war tomorrow,” he added.
“It’s not that there are no compromises with Putin, but today’s dialogue with Putin is empty and meaningless, because he doesn’t want to end the war diplomatically,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said Putin might be willing to enter into diplomatic negotiations, but his precondition is that Kyiv recognize Russia's seizure of 30% of Ukrainian territory.
“We will not play with him,” Zelensky added.
The Ukrainian president said his forces' advance into the Kursk region in southern Russia three weeks ago had silenced Kyiv's critics.
Last June, Ukraine presented its own peace plan at a summit in Switzerland. The plan calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from all of Ukraine, including Crimea. Russia will also agree to pay reparations and hold its political and military leaders accountable in an international court.
Hundreds of Russians arrested since Kursk operation began
Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrsky said on Tuesday that the Ukrainian army has captured about 600 prisoners of war since the start of its advance on Kursk.
The general said at the conference in Kiev that Ukraine had thus significantly replenished its prisoner exchange funds, according to media reports.
After three weeks, his forces had taken control of 100 villages and about 1,300 square kilometers of Russian territory, Syrsky added.
Military observers assume the area is not that large. They say Ukrainian soldiers will not be able to hold their rear lines everywhere after advancing so quickly.
Russia has now sent about 30,000 troops to the Kursk region to defend against Ukrainian advances, with more on the way, Syrsky added.
In this regard, he said that the Ukrainian plan is succeeding in light of Moscow being forced to redeploy its forces in the Kursk region.
But Russian attacks, especially in the Donetsk region, where the Ukrainian army is under severe pressure, have not slowed down.
[ad_2]
Source