Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sat stoically across the table in the cafeteria car of the moving train. His dark sweater, matching the pitch black sky outside, had the Ukrainian gold coat of arms embroidered over his heart.
“If we have permission plus missiles, you will hear the results on the battlefield.” Zelenskyy said with a slight smirk on his face. “For today we didn’t use it.”
Hours later, Ukraine’s wartime leader would order six U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to be launched into southern Russia. A move that has reshaped the trajectory of the now 1,000+ day war.
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For months, Russian leadership warned that such a move would be viewed as direct Western involvement in the conflict and could spark World War III. For Ukraine, the decision was highly anticipated and came more than six months after the U.S.-built ATACMS arrived in-country, along with similar British and French weaponry.
“All our partners always look for permission from the United States,” Zelenskyy lamented. “If the United States doesn’t give it, Europe will not give.”
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The 44-year-old president spoke with intention after a long day traveling the eastern front lines. He had just met with soldiers in the cities of Kupyansk, Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk who told him they were running low on ammunition and artillery shells. A long war of attrition was changing quickly and not in Ukraine’s favor.
This 24-hour trip was considered a top secret mission for the Ukrainian military, intelligence agencies and government since nearly three years into the conflict against Russia. Zelenskyy remains a key target.
Emerging from an underground bunker in Pokrovsk, the echo of outgoing artillery fire pierced the air.
“You can hear, we are very close,” Zelenskyy said.
Driving to the next location, Zelenskyy thought of what he would say to civilians who had paused their lives to dig trenches outside the city.
Russian soldiers were advancing in the distance, and Ukraine would need to build up additional defenses, carved into the Earth, to slow the enemy down.
While on defense in some areas along the more than 600-mile front line, his forces would need to use what western weapons they could to target staging Russian soldiers who were now joined by thousands of North Korean troops.
When asked if there were certain targets that the Americans were encouraging Ukraine not to hit with their new ATACMS missiles, Zelenskyy checked with his translator to ensure he heard the question correctly before responding.
“The Americans were not happy,” Zelenskyy recalled. “They were not happy because [of] our targeting some energy targets on the territory of Russia.”