Zelensky warns Ukraine will soon be able to attack ‘any part’ of Russia

Ukrainian president also signs law banning Moscow branch of Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Ukraine will soon be able to attack “any point” of the Russian federation that is a “source of danger” to his country and people.
Speaking on Ukrainian Independence Day, Mr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said that Russia wanted to “destroy” Ukraine but war has “returned to its home”.
“Our enemy will know…. that, sooner or later, a Ukrainian response will reach any point in the Russian federation that is a source of danger to the life of our state or our people,” he said.
Mr Zelensky’s 13-minute video address was recorded in the border area from which Kyiv launched its surprise incursion into Russia – an invasion which continues to rattle Moscow – and released to mark 33 years of independence from the Soviet Union.
He also announced that Ukrainian forces had carried out “successful” tests of a new drone missile, and called Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, a “sick man from Red Square who constantly threatens everyone with the red button”.
Mr Zelensky continued: “And the one who wanted to turn our land into a buffer zone should think about preventing his country from becoming a buffer federation.”
The Ukrainian president then signed several laws targeting Russia, including a law banning the Moscow branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Ukraine has been seeking to distance itself from the Russian church since 2014 and the efforts have accelerated since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Russia’s invasion has been backed by Patriarch Kirill, the country’s Orthodox Church leader, a staunch ally of Putin.
Russia slammed the move as “illegal”. Mr Zelensky said that “Ukrainian Orthodox [church] today is taking a step towards liberation from Moscow’s devils”.
Mr Zelensky also ratified the Rome Statute, which paves the way for Ukraine to join the International Criminal Court, and could increase the chances of Russia being prosecuted for war crimes since the start of Moscow’s invasion in February 2022.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, was among the international figures who sent messages of support to Ukraine to coincide with its independence day commemorations.
“To the people of Ukraine from the people of Britain, we send you our warmest wishes as you mark your independence day,” Sir Keir said on social media.
“I want you to know that we stand with you for as long as it takes, with whatever it takes until victory, until a just and lasting peace.”
Mr Zelensky later held official celebrations on Kyiv’s Sofia Square alongside Andrzej Duda, the Polish president, and Ingrida Simonyte, the Lithuanian prime minister.