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Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Has Begun Returning the War to Russia—and the G7 Backs It
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
In a new interview, Zelenskyy says Kyiv is building the reach to answer the country that started the war, with new drones already hitting more than 2,000 kilometers inside Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s Defense Forces and domestic defense industry have begun bringing the war back to Russia, warning that Kyiv’s long-range strike response will grow stronger every day.
Speaking in an interview with Ukraine’s national TV on June 21, Zelenskyy said Russia continues to strike Ukraine daily and that Ukraine will respond in kind.
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“During wartime, fury is an absolutely justified emotion for our people,” Zelenskyy said.
But he added that anger alone is not enough. According to the President, Ukraine’s rage must be followed by action, and Russia must feel the consequences of the war on its own territory.
“The Russians must feel that the war must return to Russia, to the territory of the country that launched the aggression,” Zelenskyy said.
During wartime, fury is an absolutely justified emotion for our people. But fury must be followed by action. It can’t just be fury and nothing more. The Russians must feel that the war must return to Russia, to the territory of the country that launched the aggression.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 21, 2026
This… pic.twitter.com/nEIwj8am69
The President said Ukraine has now entered a new stage in its ability to strike targets deep inside Russia, “this year, we’ve started to really hit them hard,” he said, with the country’s defense industry, production base, and Defense Forces working together to expand long-range capabilities.
Zelenskyy said the process is no longer theoretical: Ukraine has already begun returning the war to Russia through strikes on the infrastructure that supports Moscow’s war effort.
“Our defense industry, our Defense Forces, and our production capabilities have begun the process of bringing the war back to Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
As an example, he pointed to a recent strike on an oil refinery in Russia’s Tyumen region. According to Zelenskyy, the attack was carried out by two new Fire Point drones that hit the target after flying 2,070 kilometers directly to the site.
“Two new Fire Point drones hit the target, covering 2,070 kilometers in a direct flight,” he said.
During the summit, all members of the G7 were aware of our operation in the Moscow region, had already seen the results, and supported Ukraine’s entirely just and appropriate responses. In my view, this was the first time the G7 had unanimously supported Ukraine and said that we…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 21, 2026
The President said these new drones are only the beginning and that their future range will increase significantly, stating that “they will be able to reach more than 3,000 kilometers.”
He added that Ukraine will continue developing longer-range weapons because it knows where Russia’s military factories, oil depots, gas storage facilities, and other key war-related sites are located.
Zelenskyy added that G7 leaders were aware of Ukraine’s operation in the Moscow region during the summit and had already seen its results. According to him, they supported Ukraine’s response after Russia’s massive attack on Kyiv.
“During the summit, all members of the G7 were aware of our operation in the Moscow region, had already seen the results, and supported Ukraine’s entirely just and appropriate responses,” Zelenskyy said.
The President said this was the first time the G7 had unanimously backed Ukraine in such a clear way and supported returning to a stronger sanctions policy against Russia.
He said the discussion took place after Russia’s large-scale attack on Kyiv, which damaged civilian sites and religious landmarks. Zelenskyy said he showed G7 leaders photos of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and other damaged locations. “Everyone saw the Dormition Cathedral burning,” he said.
According to Zelenskyy, the leaders also knew about the casualties caused by Russia’s attack.
After the G7 meeting, Zelenskyy said he held additional talks with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The discussions included sanctions against Russia and licenses for air defense production.
“This time, it became quite public that the US team had responded positively to the issue of licenses for the first time,” Zelenskyy said.
The President said Ukraine already has the technical capability to begin producing missiles for Patriot air defense systems, but that the process requires licenses from the United States.
“What is needed now is President Trump’s personal approval,” he said.
Zelenskyy added that Trump plans to ask US defense companies to establish licensed production of air defense missiles in Europe and Ukraine.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also defended Ukraine’s right to strike targets inside Russia as an act of self-defense when asked whether NATO wanted Kyiv to ease military pressure on Moscow to facilitate peace talks.
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