Ukraine Set to Deploy Advanced Ballistic Missiles: Combat Readiness Just Weeks Away

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine is set to introduce a new homegrown ballistic missile by the end of next month, as announced by the nation’s leading defense manufacturer. This development aims to enhance Kyiv’s offensive capabilities against what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refers to as Russia’s “ballistic terror.”

In his annual address marking 35 years of Ukraine’s independence on Monday, President Zelenskyy highlighted the missile deficit and reiterated his appeal for international support to close the gap in Ukraine’s air defense and arms production capacities.

“We must counteract Putin’s ballistic terror, and we cannot allow his risky tactics to succeed,” he declared.

Referred to as a cost-effective counterpart to the American-made ATACMS, the Fire Point FP-7 ballistic missile is capable of hitting targets up to 186 miles (300 kilometers) away, with warheads weighing as much as 331 pounds (150 kilograms), as per details shared by company officials.

Previously, the missile was not anticipated to be battle-ready until late 2026.

This expedited rollout is a direct response to Kyiv’s urgent need for more ballistic interceptors as it intensifies its campaign of “long-range sanctions,” targeting oil refineries and missile sites within Russian territory.

“The FP-7 is currently in the final phases of testing to gain certification before moving to combat trials. We anticipate its first use in combat by the end of September,” stated CEO Iryna Terekh at the DALO Industry Days arms exhibition in Denmark last week, as reported by UNN. “We are prepared; there is little left to do,” she added.

The production of these ballistic missiles serves three strategic purposes for Kyiv: it offers a means to strike at previously unreachable launcher sites, it equates the threat level faced by Russian cities to that experienced by Ukrainian ones, and it potentially strengthens Ukraine’s position in future negotiations, according to Ukrainian authorities and military strategists.

With a global shortage of interceptors, targeting launchers on Russian ground reduces the number of ballistic and cruise missiles Ukraine needs to intercept in the air, exchanging a small, fast-moving target for a larger, stationary one.

“Proponents of a more aggressive stance argue that the focus should be on ‘shooting the archer, not just the arrow,’” notes a brief from the Atlantic Council earlier this month.

Deploying these missiles would “significantly boost Kyiv’s ability to strike Russian missile launch and manufacturing sites, while also enhancing deterrence,” the analysis suggests.

Such ballistic capabilities would also exert broader pressure on Moscow’s war infrastructure, serving as a coercive deterrent that reflects the type of strikes Russia has launched against Ukraine since 2022.

Ukrainian leaders and company spokespeople also believe that initiating ballistic warfare on Russian territory could drive Moscow back to the negotiating table.

“The Russians must be compelled to negotiate. Effective sanctions must be imposed that truly impact them,” Zelenskyy emphasized in Monday’s speech. “Ukraine must receive all necessary support to force [Russia] to end the war. This is achievable.”

Fire Point is also planning to introduce its next-generation missile, the more powerful FP-9, by late autumn, company representatives disclosed to Reuters earlier this month.

Capable of travelling at speeds up to 2,200 meters per second, the FP-9 will be able to carry a 1,764-pound (800 kilogram) warhead as far as 531 miles (855 kilometers), which puts Moscow well within its range, according to United24.