Ukraine successfully tests first indigenous ballistic missile — Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine successfully tested its first domestically produced ballistic missile.


"There was a positive test of the first Ukrainian ballistic missile. I congratulate our military-industrial complex on this," Zelenskyy said at a press conference on Tuesday following the Ukraine 2024 Independence forum held in the capital, Kiev.

On Saturday, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine successfully carried out the first combat use of the domestically-produced Palianytsia long-range missile drone.


"It was designed domestically to destroy the enemy's offensive potential," Zelenskyy posted on X together with a video, which said the missile drone is powered by a turbojet engine and is launched from a ground-based platform.


No further information has yet been provided about Palianytsia's specifications.

But a Ukrainian military video hinted that its range is up to 700 kilometres on par with the US-supplied ATACMS.

It showed a map with various airfields, including Russia's Savasleyka air base, which lies within that range, adding that the Palianytsia can reach at least 20 Russian airfields.

US and other Western allies provide long-range weapons to Ukraine but restrict it from launching them deep into Russia for fear of escalating the war. Ukraine can target the border regions but wants to go deeper into Russia.

Kursk
incursion

Speaking about Ukraine's ongoing incursion in Russia's border region of Kursk, Zelenskyy denied that Kiev has "occupied" Russian territory.

"This is a defensive operation. We provide the opportunity to create buffer zones. We are trying to prevent the occupation of our land. They have already occupied 27 percent of our land, and we are doing everything to prevent them from occupying more," he said.

He also said that Kiev's operation in Kursk stopped Russian advances in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region.


Zelenskyy claimed that Russia had similar offensive plans in Ukraine's Sumy and Chernihiv regions.


The Ukrainian president said that Kiev's actions in Kursk are "one of the points of Ukraine's victory plan," which he said he would present to US President Joe Biden next month.

And I think it's right to hand over the plan to both Kamala Harris and (former US President Donald) Trump, because we don't know who will be the president of the United States. And we really want to implement this plan," Zelenskyy added.


On Tuesday, Ukraine's army chief Oleksandr Syrsky claimed that Kiev's forces now control 1,294 square kilometres and 100 settlements in Kursk, adding that they took 594 Russian soldiers prisoners during the three-week incursion.

Ukraine uses F-16s

Zelenskyy also spoke about F16 fighter jets, saying that those delivered to Kiev shot down some missiles during Russia's air strikes across the country on Monday.


He said there is "serious damage" to his country's energy infrastructure following Russian air strikes.


Ukrainian president added that Ukraine would not extend the gas transit agreement with Russia, but it would consider requests from European companies.

Regarding the creation of a ministry to unite Ukrainians living abroad, Zelenskyy said such a decision is expected to be made in the fall.

"This is a very difficult mission for any ministry. I'm not talking about people, not about personalities, I'm talking about the institutionalisation of this process. No one has had such a challenge as returning 7.5 million people.


"We need to bring back the adult population, we need to bring back our children and students without coercion. We need to create all the conditions for them to want to do this," he said.