Ukraine is once again pleading with the West to sanction long-range attacks on Russian soil.
Following a meeting between American and British leadership the day before that yielded no discernible change in their stance on the use of long-range weaponry, Ukraine issued a fresh appeal on Saturday to the West to permit it to launch more aggressive attacks into Russia.
The fresh request was made as Kyiv reported that Russia has increased its nightly artillery and drone attacks on the country. Andriy Yermak, the presidential adviser for Ukraine, stated on Saturday that "Russian terror begins at weapons depots, airfields, and military installations inside the Russian Republic." "A major strike into Russia with authorization will expedite the resolution."
Ukrainian officials have made numerous appeals to allies to approve the use of distant weaponry supplied by the West to hit targets located deep within Russian territory. Up until now, the United States has only permitted Kyiv to employ American-supplied weaponry along a small portion of Russia's border with Ukraine.
When U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Washington on Friday, it was thought that long-range attack authorization was on the table, though no conclusion was made right away.
As Russia has increased its attacks on Ukraine's energy grid and utilities ahead of winter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been putting pressure on the United States and other partners to permit his armed forces to use Western weaponry to strike air bases and launch sites that are further awato
He stated that approximately 70 Russian drones had been flown into Ukraine over late at night, but he refrained from commenting on the meeting specifically on Saturday morning. Subsequently, the Ukrainian air force reported that 72 of the 76 Russian drones that were detected had been fired down. Zelenskyy stated on social media that "in order to protect our people, we must have to boost our air defense and long-range capability."
"We are collaborating with all of Ukraine's partners on this." During other strikes during the night, energy system in the Sumy region of Ukraine was attacked, resulting in one civilian being killed by Russian artillery fire. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, a 54-year-old motorist lost his life and seven other persons were sent to the hospital.
According to Governor Ivan Fedorov, three more civilians lost their lives on Saturday as a result of a Russian attack on an agricultural operation in the front-line city of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region. Moscow alerts the West Moscow authorities have persisted in issuing warnings in public that long-range strikes could lead to further escalation in hostilities between Russia and the West. The statements fit the narrative that the Kremlin has been pushing from the beginning of the war, which charges NATO nations with de facto involvement in the fighting and threatens retaliation.
The U.S. and British governments have pushed the conflict—which started with Russia's complete occupation of Ukraine in February 2022—into "poorly managed escalated situations," Russian Vice Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov informed the nation's news agency Tass on Saturday. President of Russia Vladimir Putin made similar remarks on Thursday, but Biden on Friday dismissed them, saying that approving long-range attacks “would mean that NATO nations, the United States and European countries are at conflict with Russia.”
Exchange of Prisoners
On Saturday, officials from Russia and Ukraine also declared the exchange of prisoners, which was mediated by the United Arab Emirates. 206 detainees from both sides were included in it, including Russians taken prisoner during Ukraine's foray into the Kursk region.
With this trade, which is the ninth of its sort since 2024 began, 1,994 POWs have been exchanged overall. The UAE acted as a mediator in prior exchanges as well.
Images of soldiers visiting friends and family were shared by both sides, with Zelenskyy remarking, "Our people are home." Additionally, the Kursk and Belgorod regions of Russia were the target of 19 Ukrainian drones that were shot down, according to the Defense Ministry of Russia.
According to Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, another woman perished on Saturday after a Ukrainian shell struck her house in the border settlement of Bezlyudovka.
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