Zelensky announced the decision after a meeting with the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Mykhailo Drapaty, and Defense Minister Yevhen Khmary. He said the Ukrainian authorities are preparing to expand their long-range capabilities, but gave no further details about the planned operations.
Ukraine's Air Force reported that from the evening of September 18 and into the night of September 19, the Russian army attacked Ukraine with two Zircon anti-ship missiles, as well as 174 strike drones of the Shahed and Gerbera types, Bandrol/Dan-T loitering munitions and decoy drones. The Ukrainian command reported destroying 141 targets — three Bandrol/Dan-T munitions and 138 Shahed, Gerbera and other types of drones.
In late June, Zelensky announced a 40-day operation to influence Russia and push it to end the war. After that, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked dozens of warehouses belonging to the Russian companies Wildberries and Ozon, as well as oil refineries and other oil and gas infrastructure facilities. In late August, the Ukrainian president said he had ordered the Armed Forces to increase the number of long-range drone strikes on Russia to 1,000 per day.
Also in late August, the United Kingdom announced it was transferring long-range missile technology to Kyiv. In early September, the Ukrainian private company Fire Point, which is developing ballistic missiles, announced imminent strikes on Russian territory. The company's CEO, Iryna Terekh, said the FP-7 tactical missile had already successfully passed two stages of testing and was being prepared for a combat test. According to her, the missiles could begin to be used in the coming weeks.