President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is working on developing and building its own long-range missiles.
“Our missile programme is showing good momentum, and although it is a challenging task, we are gradually approaching the possibility of using our own missiles, and not just relying on missiles supplied by our partners,” he said in his nightly video address.
He said Ukraine needs to be thinking about “our own solutions, our own options,” even as it relies on Western military support to fight invading Russian forces.
Ukraine’s missile programme is not starting from scratch. The country was the main centre for missile production during the Soviet era.
New types of missiles were introduced following the start of fighting in eastern Ukraine between government troops and pro-Russian separatists in 2014.
Furthermore, a Ukrainian attack sank the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva, in April 2022. According to Kiev’s account, missiles with a range of almost 300 kilometres that were made in Ukraine hit the ship.
Ukraine is not allowed to to use Western weapons to fire on targets deep into Russian territory, in part because the Europeans and Americans fear it could draw them into the war.
To get around this ban, Zelensky not only wants to ramp up missile production, but to also design missiles with a longer range.
So far, Moscow still has the clear advantage in missile firepower.