Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukraine plans to use part of the funds it hopes to receive under an EU “reparations loan” backed by frozen Russian assets to produce long‑range weapons with ranges from 150 km to 3,000 km, speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the European Council summit in Brussels.
The comments come as EU leaders discuss a plan to unlock hundreds of billions of euros in Russian central‑bank assets held in the West and channel part of the proceeds as a long‑term, interest‑free “reparations loan” to Ukraine.
“Today, we already have a clear use for Ukrainian long-range capabilities. And we will employ Ukrainian production for ranges from 150 km to 3,000 km - these are our latest capabilities,” Zelensky said.
He said the main issue now is securing additional funding to enable mass production of these long-range systems, which Ukraine already possesses.
Zelenskyy framed the proposal as both a defensive necessity and a step toward greater European industrial cooperation, saying part of the funds could also support European partners’ production.
He reiterated Kyiv’s broader push at the summit for accelerated delivery of long‑range systems from allies and for a swift EU decision on the reparations loan.
Frozen Russian assets and the EU reparations loan debate
Western nations froze roughly €300 billion in Russian central bank reserves in April 2022, including €183 billion held at Brussels-based Euroclear.
To date, only profits from these assets have been sent to Ukraine via the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) program, with €4 billion delivered in October 2025 as part of a broader G7 commitment of up to $50 billion in loans.
The European Commission’s proposal to convert the underlying fund into a long-term, interest-free “reparations loan” has faced pushback, particularly from Belgium, which seeks legally binding guarantees that other EU members will share litigation risks.
Ukraine moves toward domestic long-range weapons production
Zelenskyy's announcement reflects Ukraine's pivot toward self-reliance in long-range strike capabilities as Western allies continue restricting Ukrainian use of their weapons systems against targets deep inside Russia.
Ukraine has already developed multiple domestic long-range systems including the 3,000-kilometer Flamingo missile and the 1,000-kilometer Long Neptune.
