UKRAINE: WE NO LONGER NEED PERMISSION TO STRIKE LEGITIMATE MILITARY TARGETS INSIDE RUSSIA
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha says Kyiv no longer requires permission from any third party to conduct long-range strikes against legitimate military targets inside Russia using its own domestically produced weapons.
“We will continue asymmetric operations with our own weapons, as this is our right to self-defense, guaranteed by Article 51 of the UN Charter,” Sybiha said.
The statement reflects a major shift in Ukraine’s strategic position.
Earlier in the war, Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russia was often constrained by restrictions placed on the use of Western-supplied weapons. Many allies prohibited their systems from being used against targets inside Russia, forcing Kyiv to carefully balance military necessity with political limitations.
Today, that equation has changed.
As Ukraine has rapidly expanded its domestic defense industry, it has developed an increasingly capable arsenal of long-range drones, cruise missiles, and other strike systems that it controls entirely. Because these weapons are produced by Ukraine, decisions on where and when to use them rest with Kyiv alone.
The results are already visible. Over recent months, Ukrainian strikes have reached oil refineries, missile brigade bases, ammunition depots, airfields, fuel terminals, and logistics hubs hundreds—and in some cases thousands—of kilometers inside Russia.
Sybiha’s remarks make clear that Ukraine intends to continue that campaign.
