Watch: Zelensky Urges West for Long-Range Weapons, US, Canada Pledge Aid

On Friday, September 6, President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call for Western countries to allow Ukrainian forces to use long-range weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory. Speaking at a U.S.-hosted meeting of Ukraine’s allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Zelensky praised the ongoing Ukrainian offensive in Kursk and emphasized that long-range capabilities would help bring an earlier end to the war.

“We need long-range capabilities not only for the occupied areas of Ukraine but also to reach into Russian territory, so that Russia is compelled to seek peace,” Zelensky stated.

While Ukraine has previously received long-range weapons from NATO countries, these came with restrictions that they couldn’t be used to strike within Russia. Zelensky dismissed these limitations, saying, “Russia’s attempts to draw red lines simply don’t work.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin highlighted Ukraine’s Kursk offensive as an example of the country taking control of the battlefield. “The Kremlin’s forces are now on the defensive on their own ground,” Austin noted.

In addition, the U.S. announced a new $250 million security package for Ukraine. Germany also pledged to send Kyiv 12 more self-propelled howitzers, while Canada committed to delivering 80,840 surplus small unarmed air-to-surface rockets and 1,300 warheads in the coming months.

 

U.S. Charges Russian Officers

On Thursday, the U.S. charged five Russian military officers with conducting cyberattacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure prior to Russia’s invasion over two years ago. The U.S. accused members of Russia’s GRU military intelligence of leading the operation, dubbed “Whispergate.”

 

Russian Strikes in Pavlograd

On Friday, Russia launched attacks on Pavlograd, a central city in Ukraine, killing at least one person and injuring more than 50 others. This strike was part of a broader series of Russian attacks since Ukraine’s Kursk offensive began last month. Ukrainian Air Force officials reported that Russia fired at least five ballistic missiles in the attack.