Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again urgently called on the West to provide Ukraine with weapons with a longer range long range of action against the background of the advance of his troops in Russia's Kursk region, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The ability 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 address.
According to him, the necessary solutions are currently lacking on the part of the Western allies. He gave the example of Great Britain, which, according to him, has become slower in its actions.
The courage and endurance of the Ukrainian soldiers currently compensates for the hesitation of the Western partners, the Ukrainian president also said.
"And we could effectively take away any opportunity for the occupier to advance and inflict damage if our long-range strike capabilities were sufficient," Zelensky added.
He has repeatedly asked for permission to use rockets and cruise missiles against targets in Russia, DPA said. There are currently restrictions on this.
The world has seen how effectively Ukraine defends its independence and it needs further help, Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president again mentioned a conversation with the commander-in-chief of the armed forces Oleksandr Sirsky, who informed him about further progress in Russia's Kursk region.
"The operation is progressing exactly as we expected. The courage of the Ukrainians has achieved great success. Now we are strengthening our positions," Zelensky said.
He also mentioned again that Ukraine is capturing more and more Russian prisoners of war in the Kursk region to replenish their numbers for the next exchange with Russia. According to him, the goal is to return home soldiers and civilians in Russian captivity.
According to the latest information from Kiev, Ukraine controls over 80 settlements and 1,500 square km of land in the Kursk region.
DPA Agency notes that it cannot confirm this information through independent sources.
Approximately 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers are stationed in the Kursk region.
Zelensky intends, through the offensive launched on August 6, to increase the pressure on Moscow to end hostilities through negotiations, DPA points out. From the Russian point of view, however, these negotiations seem increasingly unlikely because of the Ukrainian offensive.