Zelenskyy urges West to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia

“The long-term solution is to destroy the Russian air force where it is based. We are waiting for appropriate decisions mainly from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy,” Mr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

The Ukrainian president's remarks came after a Russian guided bomb hit a residential building in Kharkiv, the latest in a series of attacks on the northeastern Ukrainian city, causing a fire.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Mariinsky Palace in Kiev, Ukraine on September 11, 2024. Photo: AP

Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram that rescuers pulled the body of an elderly woman from the rubble, adding that 42 people were injured.

In his speech, Mr Zelenskyy said Russia had also attacked the Sumy and Donetsk regions with guided bombs on Sunday. He said the Russian military carried out “at least 100 such airstrikes” every day.

In the face of such growing pressure, Ukraine is asking its allies to allow it to use long-range weapons provided by the West to strike military targets deep inside Russia. However, many countries are still hesitant, fearing an escalation of tensions if they agree.

Also on Sunday, local authorities said Russia had resumed shelling the strategic town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. More than 20,000 people – nearly half the population – have fled the town since August, when Russia launched a major offensive to seize control of the vital logistics hub.

The town lies at a railway and road crossroads that supplies the Ukrainian army and towns across the eastern frontline and has long been a target of Moscow's military.

Russian airstrikes damaged two overpasses in the city earlier this week, including one connecting Pokrovsk with the neighboring town of Myrnograd, local media reported.

Previously, the two strategic cities of Bakhmut and Mariupol also suffered heavy shelling before falling into the hands of the Russian army.

Huy Hoang (according to AFP, AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ong-zelenskyy-giuc-phuong-tay-khan-truong-cho-phep-ukraine-tan-cong-sau-vao-nga-post312532.html