Ukraine Lifting Itself Out of Imposed Constraints

"The main point ... is forcing Russia to end the war. We really want justice for Ukraine."

"And if this plan is accepted -- and second, if it is executed -- we believe that the main goal will be reached."

"Defenders of life should have no restrictions on weapons, as long as Russia uses all kinds of its own weapons."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

"Ukraine is preparing its response [to the latest overnight attack by Russia]. Weapons of its own production."

"This once again proves that for victory, we need long-range capabilities and the lifting of restrictions on strikes on the enemy's military facilities."

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov

A Ukrainian solder stands near a monument to Vladimir Lenin in Sudzha, Russia. August 16, 2024.  Kirill Chubotin / SIPA / Scanpix / LETA

Heavily beleaguered by a neighbour, just as Israel has been by Palestinian terrorists -- leading the way for the Jewish state to realize that it can depend only so much on sympathizing nations to give it aid and encouragement, and must be prepared to stand alone for its ultimate defence, which led to Israel becoming a weapons-designer and -manufacturer second to none, not only for its own security, but aiding other countries to protect themselves from regional threats -- Ukraine has become professionally adept at producing their own weaponry to achieve their aim of national defence.

Ukrainian start-up small-weapons manufacturers have excelled in producing drones, helping their military to meet the challenge of a relentless sweep of Ukrainian territory by the Russian military. Western nations, part of NATO, have been supplying Ukraine with certain levels of weaponry but have been loathe to upgrade those supplies to more sophisticated, longer-range weapons for fear of doing so might lead to a wider war that would drag eastern European NATO members in conflict with Russia.These constraints have led to Russian advances and Ukraine's search for an antidote.

Now an announcement out of Ukraine introducing the world to its very own new long-range weapon meant to help the Ukrainian military to strike deep within Russian territory; no need to request permission from its allies. The new weapon represents a combination of missile and drone that would provide "answers" to a wave of Russian bombings according to the Ukrainian defence minister.

The creation of the "Palianytsia" is the representative result of urgent necessity struggling to respond to Russian domination of the skies since 2022. A wave of Russian missiles and drones on Monday targeted Ukraine's electrical infrastructure. President Zelenskyy confirmed the existence of the Palianytsia as "a new class" of military weaponization.

 

War-displaced people receive humanitarian aid at a Russian Red Cross distribution point in Kursk on Aug. 15, following Ukraine's offensive into Russia's western Kursk region. (AFP via Getty Images)

 

Ukraine's 33rd anniversary of independence on Saturday recognized its delinking from the former Soviet Union and was also the event that introduced the first use of the new weapon which targeted a Russian military installation in the Russian-occupied territory. The new weapon's range, according to a military video, appears to be up to 700 kilometres, similar to the US-supplied ATACMS. Russia's Savasleyka air base lies within that range.

President Zelenskyy spoke of his military's incursion into Russia taking close to 600 Russian soldiers captive, part of a larger plan to end the war in Ukraine. Ukraine's surprise and lightning-fast incursion into Russian territory has thus far seen the capture of 100 settlements, as well as the 594 Russian soldiers. About 500 square miles in Kursk is in Ukraine's hands and the advance is continuing "dealing palpable damage", said Ukrainian commander in chief Oleksandr Syrsky.

Eastern Ukraine remains the area of the most intense fighting, however, where Russia's steady advance to grasp the entire Donbas industrial region continues to move forward. The logistical hub of Pokrovsk, at the junction of two major roads is key to the battle, for which the Ukrainian military is "doing everything possible to stabilize the situation in this direction", noted Commander Syrsky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting by video link on situation in Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions on Aug. 22. (via Reuters)