Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the successful use of new Ukrainian-made long-range weapons in his nightly address, saying they hit a target 700 kilometers, about 435 miles, away. Zelensky didn’t say what the weapons were or whether they were used in a test or against an enemy target.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry appeared to refer to the weapons in a social media post echoing Zelensky’s remarks. Hours earlier, the Ukrainian leader had said the weapons were produced by the Ministry of Strategic Industries.
Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder urged North Korea not to negotiate with Russia or provide it arms, describing the arms in question as “essentially artillery ammunition” in a briefing with reporters. The previous day, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” negotiations for weapons that would be used in the war in Ukraine.
Moscow’s mayor reported early Friday that drones were shot down outside the city. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, according to a Telegram post from Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Britain’s BAE Systems will open an office in Kyiv to increase its supply of weapons, equipment and military know-how, Zelensky’s office said in a statement Thursday. BAE has been providing Ukraine with weapons such as the L119 and M777 artillery systems, Zelensky said. The latest agreement “paves the way for us to work together to provide more direct support to the Ukrainian armed forces,” BAE chief executive Charles Woodburn said, according to Reuters.
Ukraine’s foreign minister lashed out at those criticizing the pace of his country’s counteroffensive. Dmytro Kuleba, speaking in Spain on Thursday, said criticizing the slow pace of the counteroffensive is tantamount to “spitting into the face of [the] Ukrainian soldier who sacrifices his life every day,” he told reporters at a meeting of European foreign ministers, Reuters reported. “I would recommend all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimeter by themselves,” he added.
Russia will discuss an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal with Turkey this week, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, are expected to meet in Moscow over a proposal to send grain to Turkey with the financial help of Qatar. The grain would be processed in Turkey and exported to countries “in need,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The Kremlin also has said the leaders of Russia and Turkey will meet in Russia “soon.”
Drone strikes hit military aircraft deep inside Russia: This week’s drone attack against at least six Russian cities, including Pskov, was the largest airstrike against Russia presumed to have been launched by Ukraine or its proxies since President Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Robyn Dixon and Siobhán O’Grady report. It demonstrated Kyiv’s ability to attack deep within Russian territory.
Although Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the drone attacks, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry released a cryptic message on social media that appeared to hint at Ukraine’s responsibility: “Did you know that Pskov Airport is named after Kyivan Princess Olha? Oh, what a spectacularly vengeful woman she was!”
