Key Takeaways:
– Ukraine has urged the West to permit long-range strikes into Russia’s heartland.
– The call follows overnight drone and artillery attacks from Russia.
– The potential use of Western-provided long-range weapons in Russian territory is under discussion by allies, including the US and Britain.
– There is rising concern over escalation and potential involvement of NATO countries in the conflict.
– A prisoner swap has taken place, and the two countries have exchanged a total of 1,994 prisoners since 2024.
Renewed Call for Long-Range Strikes
Ukraine, amid escalating tensions with Russia, fervently called on its Western allies on Saturday to permit it to extend its military operations deeper into Russian territory. This appeal followed a meeting between US and British leaders that did not yield a shift in their policy concerning long-range weapons use. This development comes as Kyiv accuses Russia of launching intensified drone and artillery attacks into Ukraine overnight.
“Russian terror begins at weapons depots, airfields, and military bases inside the Russian Federation,” said Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Andriy Yermak. He contends that allowing Ukraine to strike these targets would expedite a solution to the current crisis. So far, the US has only permitted Ukraine to use American-provided weapons within a restricted area along Russia’s border.
The Potential for Long-Range Strikes
President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have reportedly been discussing the viability of long-range strikes. The two leaders met in Washington on Friday, but there was no immediate disclosure about their decision on this issue. Ukrainian officials have been consistently urging their allies to approve the usage of Western-provided long-range weapons to strike strategic targets deep within Russian terrain.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been lobbying the United States and other allies to permit the use of Western weapons. The motive behind his request is to target air bases and launch sites farther afield as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine’s electricity grid and utilities ahead of winter. After detecting 76 Russian drones overnight with 72 downed, Zelenskyy underscored the need to “boost our air defense and long-range capabilities to protect our people.”
Reaction from Moscow
Meanwhile, Moscow has been issuing intense warnings about potential long-range strikes, underscoring that they would trigger further escalation between Russia and the West. These statements are congruent with the Kremlin’s position, accusing NATO countries of indirectly participating in the war and alerting them of potential retaliation. Furthermore, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has accused the US and British governments of driving the conflict toward a “poorly controlled escalation.”
The escalating conflicts also witnessed a prisoner swap, brokered by the United Arab Emirates, involving 206 detainees from both sides. This development signifies the eighth exchange of its kind since the beginning of 2024, leading to a total of 1,994 POWs exchanged. Both parties released images of soldiers returning home, with Zelenskyy exclaiming, “Our people are home.”
As this situation continues to unfold, the plea from Ukraine adds a layer of complexity to the series of bilateral negotiations to defuse the crisis, with heated discussions revolving around the terms of engagement and the extent of force permitted in the ongoing conflict. The stomach for long-range strikes and the potential aftermath of such a decision remains a question of utmost gravity for the involved parties and the international community at large.