Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fueled speculation over reports that the United States has greenlit long-range missile strikes into Russian territory, stating that “missiles will speak for themselves” during his November 17 evening address on Telegram.
The remarks followed media claims that the Biden administration had approved the use of US-supplied ATACMS missiles against targets in Russia, specifically in the Kursk region.
These claims are still unverified, as neither Washington nor Kyiv has confirmed the details.
However, Zelenskyy’s cryptic comments suggest that Ukraine might be prepared to leverage advanced weaponry for strategic gains.
“The plan to strengthen Ukraine is the Victory Plan, which I presented to our partners. One of its key points is long-range capabilities for our army,” he stated.
While addressing the media chatter directly, he added, “Strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced.”
Discussions about long-range strikes have grown louder as Ukraine seeks to disrupt Russia’s military infrastructure. A recent analysis addresses the need to target a dozen critical missile manufacturing facilities across Russia, located 500 to 1500 kilometers from Ukraine’s borders. If confirmed, such operations could mark a significant escalation in the conflict.
While the use of ATACMS or Tomahawk missiles in these scenarios remains speculative, their potential deployment could severely weaken Russia’s missile production and logistics network.
