Zelenskyy neither confirms nor denies approval for strikes inside Russia with ATACMS, Storm Shadow

Late on 17 November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given an ambiguous response to media reports claiming Western allies have permitted Ukraine to conduct long-range strikes into Russian territory.

In his evening address to the nation, Zelenskyy addressed the publications regarding the alleged permission for Ukraine to use ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles for deep strikes into Russia.

“The plan to strengthen Ukraine is the Victory Plan that I presented to our partners. One of the main points is the long-range capability of our army. Today, many in the media are saying that we have received permission to take appropriate actions. But strikes are not delivered with words. Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves. They definitely will,” Zelenskyy said.

The New York Times reported earlier, citing unnamed US officials, that US President Joe Biden had approved Ukraine’s use of American long-range ATACMS missiles inside Russia. According to the publication’s sources, this decision was influenced by North Korean troops’ engagement in fighting in Kursk Oblast.

Le Figaro stated that France and the UK have also lifted their ban on the use of the Franco-British cruise missile Scalp/Storm Shadow within Russia.

Related:

• NYT: Biden allows Ukraine to use US weapons for deep strikes in Russia
• Telegraph: Starmer, Macron aim to push Biden for last-minute shift on Ukraine long-range missile policy ahead of Trump presidency
• France to send Ukraine new batch of SCALP and Mistral missiles
• Scholz caused German government crisis by denying Ukraine Taurus missiles, fired minister says
• Canada pushes allies to approve Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russia with Western weapons
• Reuters: Putin again threatens “range of responses” if deep Russia strikes allowed with Western weapons
• Ex-CIA chief Petraeus calls for expanded tactical missile support for Ukraine