Russia’s military has launched a major counteroffensive to retake territory seized by Ukraine. On Wednesday, the head of Russia’s forces in Kursk said troops had liberated 10 settlements in the region. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has departed Ukraine after committing to keep sending aid to Kyiv. Blinken, however, did not greenlight the use of U.S.-made long-range missiles against Russia, as sought by Kyiv. This is Ukraine’s foreign minister.

Andrii Sybiha: “To defend our people, brave steps from all our partners are necessary. It’s important to lift all restrictions on the use of American and British weapons against lawful targets on Russian territory. We need decisiveness also in regards to shooting down Russian missiles and drones in Ukrainian airspace. The further Ukraine can strike, the closer a just peace will be.”

Moscow vowed an “appropriate response” if Ukraine used U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike deep inside Russia.