Ukraine war: Kyiv unveils new long-range weapon to bypass Western curbs, hit deep into Russia
- The US and other allies provide long-range weapons to Ukraine but restrict it from launching them deep into Russia for fear of escalating the war
Ukraine says it has a new home-grown long-range weapon that will allow it to strike deep into Russia without asking permission from allies.
With the characteristics of a missile and a drone, the “Palianytsia” was created due to urgent necessity, Ukrainian officials said, as Russia has dominated the skies since the outbreak of the war in February 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Saturday the existence of the Palianytsia, a type of Ukrainian bread and a word so notoriously difficult to pronounce correctly that it was used to unmask suspected spies early in the war. Zelensky called it “a new class” of weapon.
Saturday, which marked Ukraine’s 33rd anniversary of independence from the former Soviet Union, also saw the first use of the new weapon, targeting a Russian military installation in the occupied territory, officials said without providing details.
A Ukrainian military video hinted that its range is up to 700 kilometres (430 miles) – on par with the US-supplied ATACMS. It showed a map with various airfields, including Russia’s Savasleyka airbase, which lies within that range, adding that the Palianytsia can reach at least 20 Russian airfields.
