US President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with American-supplied long-range missiles could be a "game changer" for Kyiv, the country's foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga has said.
"It could be a game changer. The longer Ukraine can strike, the shorter the war will be," Mr Sybiga told reporters ahead of a UN Security Council meeting to mark 1,000 days since the Russian invasion of its Eastern European neighbor.
He argued that Kyiv has the "full right to strike military targets on the territory of Russia."
"It could have very positive impact on the situation on the battlefield," Mr Sybiga added.
The use of long-range missiles, long sought by Ukraine, was approved two months before Mr Biden leaves office to be replaced by US President-elect Donald Trump, who is seen as less inclined to help Kyiv.
Yesterday, Russia accused Mr Biden of "fueling" tensions with the move.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, referring to the green light, said that "all parties must ensure the safety and protection of civilians, regardless of their location."
Ms DiCarlo, speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, went on to mark the "1,000 days of widespread death, destruction and despair that continue unabated for millions of Ukrainians."
She denounced the rise in civilian casualties and raised Russia's attack on Ukraine over the weekend, involving 120 missiles and 90 drones, which caused significant damage to Ukraine's power grid.
"The targeted devastation of Ukraine's energy infrastructure may make the coming winter the harshest since the start of the war," she warned.
Zelensky visits frontline
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he visited the eastern frontline town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region.
A video posted by Mr Zelensky showed him visiting troops defending the town from Russian forces situated about 8km away.
"This is a tense area. It is only thanks to the strength of the (Ukrainian) soldiers that the east is not completely occupied by Russia. The enemy gets a response every day," Mr Zelensky wrote in a post on X.
It comes as two children were among 11 people killed when a Russian missile hit a residential building in the northeastern city of Sumy, Ukrainian officials said, while another missile strike left the region's administrative centre without power.
Eighty-nine people, including 11 children, were also injured in the attack on the city late yesterday, Ukraine's state emergency service said via the Telegram messaging app.
Pokrovsk. I visited the location of the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade, which is defending the city. I spoke with the defenders and presented them with awards.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 18, 2024
This is a tense and challenging direction. It is only thanks to the strength of our warriors that the East… pic.twitter.com/MJUiPgs7k0
The attack on Sumy followed a morning of Russia pounding Ukraine's power grid in what Ukraine said was a "massive" attack with 120 missiles and 90 drones that killed at least seven people.
"Sunday evening for the city of Sumy became hell, a tragedy that Russia brought to our land," Volodymyr Artyukh, the head of the Sumy military administration said in a post on the administration's Telegram messaging channel.
The military administration said another missile hit critical infrastructure, leaving the city without power.
Ukraine's air force said that Russian forces used two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and a Kh-59 guided missile in the overnight attack.
Rescuers and all necessary services continued to work at the scene and psychologists were providing assistance to those affected, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said on Telegram.
More than 400 people were evacuated, the Service added.
Photographs posted on Telegram by State Emergency Service of Ukraine showed firefighters battling a blaze consuming cars and rescuers carrying people out of a building. One image showed a multi-storey building with nearly all windows blown out and its facade damaged.
Sumy regional prosecutors said the attack damaged 90 apartments, 28 cars, two educational institutions and 13 buildings.
Reuters was able to independently verify the location with the outline, position and design of the buildings that match the file and satellite imagery of the area. Reuters was able to confirm the date with corroborating reports of the local prosecutor and emergency services.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes on each other's territory. But thousands have died since early 2022 in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the vast majority of them Ukrainians.
