"We are using long-range weapons produced by Ukraine and have not recently consulted with the US on this topic," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated during a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Kyiv on 24/8.
Zelensky acknowledged that previously "there were various signals" regarding Ukraine's long-range strikes into Russian territory.
However, the situation has shifted with Ukraine's development of the Flamingo cruise missile, boasting a range of 3,000 km. Zelensky described it as "the most successful missile" in Ukraine's arsenal, with recent tests yielding positive results.
Kyiv plans to increase its Flamingo missile count by December and commence mass production early next year.
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A warhead inside the casing of a Flamingo missile at the Fire Point factory on 14/8. Photo: AP |
A warhead inside the casing of a Flamingo missile at the Fire Point factory on 14/8. Photo: AP
Zelensky's declaration follows a Wall Street Journal report last week revealing a Pentagon review process, granting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authority over all Ukrainian ATACMS ballistic missile strikes targeting Russian territory. Implemented mid-year, this process has prevented Kyiv from utilizing these weapons against targets deep within Russia. At least one Ukrainian ATACMS request has been denied by the US. This approach also restricts Ukraine's independent use of UK and French-supplied Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles, as they rely on US-provided data.
President Donald Trump has recently sent conflicting messages regarding his support for Ukrainian strikes within Russia. After his August 15 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Trump posted on Truth Social that Ukraine has "no chance of winning" without permission to strike within Russia, criticizing his predecessor Joe Biden for limiting Ukraine to "defense only, no counterattacks."
Despite this, Trump has repeatedly opposed the "weapons barrier removal" decision implemented by the Biden administration in late 2024.
Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles against Russian territory. Following the initial launches on 19/11/2024, Ukraine reduced the frequency of these attacks. Russian forces have also intercepted ATACMS missiles before reaching their targets.
US officials report that the final batch of ATACMS approved under the Biden administration arrived in Ukraine last spring, leaving Kyiv with limited remaining stock.
Thanh Danh (Kyiv Independent, Telegraph, WSJ)
