Ukraine urges Trump to provide long-range missiles to cripple, attack deep within Russia: report
Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky said that along with the new Patriot air defense systems Washington and NATO have promised, Ukraine needs more long-range weapons, like the US-made ATAMCS system, to directly target Russia's arms production plants, the Washington Post reported.
Syrsky told the outlet that taking out Moscow's war infrastructure would send a direct message to the Kremlin and hinder Russia's ability to fire hundreds of drones every night — attacks that have been escalating and killing civilians.
5 Ukraine's top military commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, said President Trump needs to help the country provide more long-range missiles that will be able to attack Russia.
Ron Sachs/CNP / SplashNews.com
'They are targeting virtually everything — airfields, populated areas, infrastructure facilities,' Syrsky said.
'So, of course, we need supplies of ballistic missiles in order to be able to give the enemy a fitting rebuff.'
'The availability of any missile weapons is in itself a deterrent,' he added.
'I hope that thanks to President Trump's position, this process will be much easier and … we won't have any of the difficulties we had before.'
Syrsky was referencing the Biden-era ban on most deep strikes against Russian military targets, which has kept Kyiv on the defensive and largely relying on its own, home-made drones to attack targets hundreds of miles over the border.
5 Gen. Syrsky says Ukraine needs weapons much like the US-made ATAMCS system.
Main Directorate of Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/AFP via Getty Images
5 Syrsky said if Ukraine can get access to these missiles, they can send a message to the Kremlin and limit Russia's capacity to use their drones in warfare.
John Hamilton/US Army
It remains unclear if Trump would greenlight deep strikes against Russia, with reports revealing he had asked Zelensky earlier this month if Ukraine was capable of attacking Moscow or St. Petersburg.
Trump has since said Kyiv should avoid any direct attacks on the Russian capital.
The US and UK only allowed Ukraine to use their long-range missiles under limited circumstances last year, prompting backlash from the Kremlin who accused Western powers were getting directly involved in the war.
It led Russian President Vladimir Putin to update Moscow's nuclear doctrine, opening the door for retaliation against any nuclear superpower that props up an enemy nation that fires into Russia.
5 President Trump has made recent comments that Ukraine should not attack Moscow, the capital city of Russia.
via REUTERS
5 Gen. Syrsky's plea to Trump to send more advanced missiles to Ukraine comes after the Trump administration vowed to send them 'billions of dollars' worth of weapons.
Inukraine.official / Facebook
The plea from Kyiv comes after Trump vowed to send 'billions of dollars' worth of weapons to Ukraine via Washington's NATO allies to bolster Kyiv's defense systems.
Trump also threatened to impose harsh 'secondary tariffs' on Moscow's business partners in 50 days if no peace is agreed to end the 40-month-old war.
Ukraine and Russia mediators are currently engaged in cease-fire talks in Turkey, but Moscow has warned the world to temper its expectations for peace.
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