Ukraine's armed forces urgently need more long-range weapons to strike deep behind enemy lines, Germany's foreign minister stated, as Russia advances on the battlefield.
During a meeting of European foreign ministers in Strasbourg, Annalena Baerbock described the military situation in northeast Ukraine as "highly dramatic," noting that Russian forces have made significant gains of up to 10 kilometers in some areas.
Baerbock emphasized the importance of providing weapons capable of medium and long-distance strikes, implicitly pressuring German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles. These missiles are more effective than those provided by Britain and France for targeting reinforced bunkers and bridges, but Scholz has thus far refused to send them to Kyiv. "We are also working with other partners on this," Baerbock added, acknowledging the "extremely difficult situation" faced by Ukrainian forces.
Germany has become Ukraine's second-largest arms supplier after the United States, yet Scholz has hesitated to provide Taurus missiles, fearing it would deepen Germany's involvement in the war. The U.S. has also restricted its supplied weapons, stipulating they must not be used to strike inside Russia.
Ukrainian leaders have expressed frustration over these limitations. In a recent POLITICO interview, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized the West for requiring Ukraine to fight with "one hand tied behind its back" due to the conditions attached to military aid.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged Friday that Russian forces had advanced in one area of the Kharkiv oblast but assured Ukrainians that the situation was stabilizing. "Today, our defense forces have stabilized the Russians where they are now," he stated.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said, "Russia has not stopped terrorizing our people for a single week in more than two years of this war. Russia tries to expand the war while consistently making empty statements about peace. We must use all available means to force Russia to make a real and just peace. Our defense against Russian assaults and strikes is critical in this regard."
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, announced that troops are preparing for a potential Russian offensive on the Sumy oblast, 300 kilometers northeast of Kyiv, likely aiming to force Ukraine to divert its forces.
Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne reported that Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, experienced the longest air-raid alert of the war, lasting over 16 hours. The region’s governor confirmed that at least five drones had struck the city.
In retaliation, Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks of the war on Thursday night, targeting Russian naval bases and oil facilities, including the port of Novorossiysk, where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is based.
The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, reported on social media that the port city suffered a "partial blackout" after debris from an intercepted Ukrainian drone hit an electrical substation.
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