President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine is developing and building its own long-range missiles.
“Our missile program is showing good momentum and although it is a challenging task, we are gradually approaching the possibility of using our own missiles and not relying only on missiles supplied by our partners,” he said in his daily video address.
He said Ukraine must think about “our own solutions, our own options” even as the country relies on Western military support in the fight against invading Russian forces.
Ukraine’s missile program is not starting from scratch. The country was the main center for missile production during the Soviet era.
New types of missiles were introduced after fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russian separatists in 2014.
In addition, in April 2022, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva, was sunk by a Ukrainian attack. According to Kiev, the ship was hit by missiles with a range of almost 300 kilometers, which were made in Ukraine.
Ukraine is not allowed to use Western weapons to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, partly because Europeans and Americans fear that this would draw them into the war.
To circumvent this ban, Zelensky not only wants to increase missile production, but also design missiles with a longer range.
So far, Moscow still has a clear advantage in missile firepower.