(Reuters) – Ukraine has put additional funding towards its domestic missile programme, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday, as it tries to narrow a gap in capabilities with Russia, which has an array of long-range weapons.
Ukraine, which has prioritised the production of long-range strike drones since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, has tried to build up its domestic output of arms like the Neptun, a Ukrainian anti-ship missile that can also attack land targets.
“…Additional funding was allocated to our missile programme. More domestically produced missiles to come,” Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
He gave no additional details.
In July, the Ukrainian leader said Kyiv was working to reduce its dependence on missiles, including ones used for air defence, that are supplied by Ukraine’s allies.
Kyiv has been heavily reliant on lethal military assistance from its Western partners throughout the war. It has lobbied the West to allow it to use the weapons it supplies to strike deep inside Russia.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Christina Fincher)
Comments