Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will visit a Pennsylvania ammunition factory to thank workers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday will visit the Pennsylvania ammunition factory that is producing one of the most critically needed munitions for his country's fight to fend off Russian ground forces.

He is expected to go to the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant to kick off a busy week in the United States shoring up support for Ukraine in the war, according to two U.S. officials and a third familiar with Zelenskyy's schedule who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that were not yet public. He also will address the U.N. General Assembly annual gathering in New York and travel to Washington for talks on Thursday with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Scranton plant is one of the few facilities in the country to manufacture 155 mm artillery shells. They are used in howitzer systems, which are towed large guns with long barrels that can fire at various angles. Howitzers can strike targets up to 15 miles to 20 miles (24 kilometers to 32 kilometers) away and are highly valued by ground forces to take out enemy targets from a protected distance.

Ukraine has already received more than 3 million of the 155 mm shells from the U.S.

With the war now well into its third year, Zelenskyy has been pushing the U.S. for permission to use longer range missile systems to fire deeper inside of Russia.

So far he has not persuaded the Pentagon or White House to loosen those restrictions. The Defense Department has emphasized that Ukraine can already hit Moscow with Ukrainian-produced drones, and there is hesitation on the strategic implications of a U.S.-made missile potentially striking the Russian capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia would be “at war” with the United States and its NATO allies if they allow Ukraine to use the long-range weapons.

At one point in the war, Ukraine was firing between 6,000 and 8,000 of the 155 mm shells per day. That rate started to deplete U.S. stockpiles and drew concern that the level on hand was not enough to sustain U.S. military needs if another major conventional war broke out, such as in a potential conflict over Taiwan.

In response the U.S. has invested in restarting production lines and is now manufacturing more than 40,000 155 mm rounds a month, with plans to hit 100,000 rounds a month. During his visit, Zelenskyy is expected meet and thank workers who have increased production of the 155 mm rounds over the past year.

Two of the Pentagon leaders who have pushed that increased production through — Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon's top weapons buyer — are also expected to join Zelenskyy at the plant, as is Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa.

The 155 mm rounds are just one of the scores of ammunition, missile, air defense and advanced weapons systems the U.S. has provided Ukraine — everything from small arms bullets to advanced F-16 fighter jets. The U.S. has been the largest donor to Ukraine, providing more than $56 billion of the more than $106 billion NATO and partner countries have collected to aid in its defense.

Even though Ukraine is not a member of NATO, commitment to its defense is seen by many of the European nations as a must to keep Putin from further military aggression that could threaten bordering NATO-member countries and result in a much larger conflict.

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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

FILE - 155 mm M795 artillery projectiles are manufactured at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

FILE - A steel worker moves a 155 mm M795 artillery projectile at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

A key artillery shell in Ukraine's fight against Russia, the 155 mm howitzer shell, is in production at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

FILE -A steel worker moves a 155 mm M795 artillery projectile during the manufacturing process at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., Thursday, April 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE - A key artillery shell in Ukraine's fight against Russia, the 155 mm howitzer shell, is in production at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will visit a Pennsylvania ammunition factory to thank workers

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will visit a Pennsylvania ammunition factory to thank workers

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends the Fourth Crimea Platform Leaders Summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — Eleven years after winning the title as a 20-year-old prodigy, Matteo Manassero moved into position to capture the prestigious BMW PGA Championship again on Saturday.

Manassero shot 9-under 63 to take a three-stroke lead after the third round.

Victory would cap a career revival for Manassero, who as a teenager was widely expected to become a golfing superstar. His game went into freefall, dropping the Italian onto the third-tier Alps Tour and to a world ranking of 1,705.

Back on the European tour this year, he won in South Africa in March and is in sight of a victory over a stacked field — containing Rory McIlroy — at the tour’s flagship event.

“Thinking of the difficult years, to be standing here right now in the lead — it feels amazing,” Manassero said. “My perspective has changed. I'm going to go out and enjoy tomorrow.”

Manassero, now ranked No. 101, pumped his fist after curling in a 12-foot putt at the last to seal a birdie-birdie-birdie finish and a back nine of 31 on the storied West Course that was drenched in heavy rain for much of the round. He made seven birdies and an eagle 3 at No. 4, and was 18 under for the tournament.

“I have to be honest, one of the best rounds I’ve ever played,” Manassero said.

McIlroy shot 66 after getting up and down for par at No. 18 after hitting into water off his second shot. The No. 3-ranked Northern Irishman, who won the event in 2014, was tied for second place with 2021 champion Billy Horschel, whose round of 65 included a run of seven straight birdies — featuring holed putts totaling 130 feet — from No. 8.

“The hole looked like the size of the Atlantic Ocean,” Horschel said.

Overnight leader Matthew Baldwin, who is ranked No. 363 and was dropping off packages for Amazon two years ago, shot 71 and was alone in fourth place after a round that began in pouring rain — necessitating preferred lies — and finished under a sunny sky outside London.

McIlroy, who also has two runner-up finishes at Wentworth, came from seven shots back at the start of the final round to win a decade ago and said catching Manassero might be just as difficult on Sunday.

“It’s good to see him back playing the golf that he is and where he’s supposed to be,” McIlroy said of Manassero, "so it’s going to be an exciting day.

“But if I get off to a fast start, it’s game on.”

Manassero would be a popular winner given the journey he has been on.

In 2009, he won the British Amateur, the silver medal at the British Open for low amateur and became No. 1 amateur in the world.

Within four years, he'd won four events on the European tour, capped by winning at the BMW PGA Championship to move into the top 25 in the world. Six years later, he briefly stepped away from a game he no longer loved, but is now back in the big time.

A victory would put him on track to qualify for next year's Ryder Cup and to claim one of the 10 PGA Tour cards available each year from the European tour.

“I know what I’m doing much more,” Manassero said. “It’s not easy to compete at such a high level in tough conditions. It’s not like the ideal comfort zone but that’s what we work for. That’s what we try and achieve. Just happy where I am.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

USA's Billy Horschel plays a shot on the 4th hole during day three of the PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, England, Saturday Sept. 21, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy lines up a putt on the 4th green during day three of the PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, England, Saturday Sept. 21, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy plays a shot from a bunker on the 3rd hole during day three of the PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, England, Saturday Sept. 21, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy on the 4th hole during day three of the PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, England, Saturday Sept. 21, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Italy's Matteo Manassero on the 3rd hole during day three of the PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, England, Saturday Sept. 21, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Italy's Matteo Manassero on the 4th hole during day three of the PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, England, Saturday Sept. 21, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)