Zelensky presses West for permission to use long-range weapons; US, Canada vow more aid

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday (Sep 6) made a fresh appeal to Western countries for letting the Ukrainian forces use long-range weapons for strikes deep inside Russia’s territory. Zelensky was attending a regular United States-hosted gathering of Ukraine's allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. He also lauded his forces for the ongoing Kursk offensive, saying long-range weapons would help it end the war earlier.

"We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on Russian territory, yes, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace," Zelensky said.

Ukraine has received long-range weapons from NATO nations in the past but with a caveat that they can’t be used to strike Russian territories. The Ukrainian presidentsaid, "Russia's attempts to draw red lines simply do not work."

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US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in the gathering that the Kursk offensive was an example of how Ukraine was working to seize the battlefield initiative.

"The Kremlin's army of aggression is now on the defensive on its own turf," Austin said.

The US also announced a fresh $250 million security package for the war-torn country. Meanwhile,Germany vowed to provide Kyiv with an additional 12 self-propelled howitzers. Whereas, Canada declared it will send 80,840 surplus small unarmed air-to-surface rockets as well as 1,300 warheads in the coming months.

US charges five Russian officers

The US on Thursday charged five Russian military officers for 'conducting cyberattackson civilian infrastructure in Ukraine ahead of launching the invasion more than two years ago.

The US alleged that members of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency were involved in the campaign against Ukraine, named “Whispergate.”

Russian strikes on Pavlograd

Russia on Friday launched strikes on the Ukrainian central city of Pavlograd, killing at least one person and injuring more than 50.

The Friday attack came in a series of attacks that Russia has launched since Ukraine’s Kursk offensive began last month. Russian forces fired at least five ballistic missiles on Ukraine, claimed Ukraine’s Air Force.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)