President Zelenskyy: Long-range capabilities are essential to end this war

“As we head into winter, Ukraine’s air defense is no less important, along with real progress in the joint interception of Russian missiles and drones,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a traditional address to the Ukrainian nation on October 3.

Dear Ukrainians!

Today, the new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, paid his first visit to Kyiv, and this is a significant visit to Ukraine he made immediately after assuming the powers of the Alliance’s Secretary General. And the key now is to actually back up this priority with decisions. It’s clear how important it is to fully implement every agreement we’ve made with our partners on defense support. Timeliness in support means resilience on the frontline. The frontline must be strengthened, and long-range capabilities must finally be provided in the way necessary to end this war. Everyone in the Alliance understands the needs.

As we head into winter, Ukraine’s air defense is no less important, along with real progress in the joint interception of Russian missiles and drones. We see that one of the main reasons for the security deficit in the skies of Ukraine, and in particular near the borders of NATO, our neighbors, is the lack of decisions on joint operations and joint defense.

Full text of the address: Office of the President of Ukraine