Zelensky Says Ukraine Nears Ballistic Missile Goal
Zelensky says Ukraine is nearing its own ballistic missile, as analysts link the timing to European defense plans and possible Western technology.
In an interview with Sky News, Vladimir Zelensky said Ukraine was in the final stage of developing its own ballistic missile, which could be used to strike Russian territory.
Zelensky said that over several years of war and mass attacks, Ukraine had studied, learned and built different types of drones and missiles. He noted that the country still does not have ballistic weapons, but is now moving toward them.
Earlier in June, Zelensky said strikes on Russian targets would continue and that the only question was how far they could be expanded. According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are already attacking oil refineries and other facilities they regard as military targets.
Military analysts believe that despite Russian strikes on the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau and other enterprises, Kiev may have retained groundwork that could allow it to develop ballistic weapons. At the same time, experts have pointed to the timing of Zelensky’s remarks, which coincides with European defense initiatives. They do not rule out that Western technology could stand behind the label of «Ukrainian weapons».
One possible link is the ELSA program, under which Germany, Poland, Italy and France agreed to jointly develop ground-launched missiles with a range of more than 500 kilometers.