Ukraine has used its ballistic missile for the first time, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced. It is the FP-7 tactical ballistic missile from the Fire Point company, he said. No other details were reported. There is no independent confirmation of the news either.
The Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, which produces the FP-7, also produces the FP-1 long-range drones and the FP-5 "Flamingo" cruise missiles. As noted on the company's website, the missile can travel a distance of up to 250 kilometers and carry up to 200 kilograms of explosives. Previous information from the company spoke of a range of 200 kilometers and a payload of 150 kilograms.
The manufacturer Fire Point defines the FP-7 as a cheaper alternative to the American ATACMS and as a ballistic interceptor for the Freya air defense program. For the FP-7, instead of the typical launcher on a multi-axle chassis for such systems, the company uses a rail guidance system on a trailer - as with the Flamingo. The company believes that this allows the complex to be more easily adapted to different missions and use cases.
That Ukraine is developing its own ballistic missile became clear in September 2025 - at the international defense industry exhibition MSPO in Poland. A few months later, at the end of February this year, the first tests were carried out - about 15 test launches were reported.
According to the Internet portal of the Ukrainian consulting company Defense Express, the FP-7 was created on the basis of the Soviet air defense missile 48N6, which Russia uses in the S-400 complexes. However, the designers of Fire Point used lighter materials, guidance systems and fuel.
Serial production no earlier than 2027?
Preliminary tests of the FP-7 were carried out without a warhead, which is why combat use is a very important stage, Defense Express director Sergey Zgurets noted in an interview with DW. According to him, it is still too early to believe that Ukraine already has a new effective weapon. Any weapon becomes such when three conditions are met: it must be mass-produced, it must be part of the standard armament of the army and the military must use it effectively, he explained. Zgurets specifies that so far none of these conditions have been met.
First, we need to make sure that the missile is really capable of flying the announced 250 kilometers and hitting the target with the accuracy promised by the manufacturer, Zgurets emphasizes. "At least half of the missiles fired should not deviate more than 14 meters from the target at their farthest point of impact. Only then can mass production begin," he explains.
Experts interviewed by DW do not expect mass production of these missiles to begin before 2027. "For now, the strikes will be sporadic. After all, this is not a quick process. Moreover, Ukraine has not yet produced operational-tactical ballistic missiles. "But undoubtedly, the fact that Ukraine has its own ballistic missile is already an important stage," military-political commentator from the "Information Resistance Movement" group Alexander Kovalenko told DW. He emphasizes that the FP-7 is only the first step - other projects are also to be implemented, such as the "Sapsan" missile with a range of about 500 kilometers and the tactical FP-9 with a flight range of over 800 kilometers.
Fire Point planned to start mass production of hundreds of FP-7 missiles last spring. The company's chief designer and co-owner, Denis Stillerman, specified that this could happen if there was an order and funding from the state.
What do they need at the front?
One hundred missiles per month is the minimum required quantity, judging by the list of targets located within a radius of 200 kilometers from the front line, says Zgurets. "We calculated that to destroy the Russian drone base "Tsimbulova"1, located 180 kilometers from Ukrainian territory and used to launch "Geran" drones, about 30 ATACMS missiles with cluster warheads would be needed. There are about 15 such drone bases," he notes. The main problem is in resources, Zgurets adds. "Currently, we have too many priorities and too few funds," he admits to DW.
Olexander Kovalenko points to a similar benchmark. According to him, Ukraine should produce at least 3-4 ballistic missiles per day. "This is achievable if a closed-loop production cycle is built. I don't know what the specific capacity of Fire Point is, but I refer to Russia's experience: during the full-scale war, it increased the production of only 9M723 "Iskander" missiles from one per week to several per day. We have all the capabilities to do the same," he claims.
What targets can the FP-7 reach?
The territory within the range of the FP-7 is already subject to long-range strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles, DV sources note. However, the drones carry a warhead weighing about 50 kilograms; so, generally speaking, one missile delivers a blow comparable to four drone strikes, Zgurets explains.
It is also easier to shoot down a drone, while intercepting a ballistic missile – especially in Russian regions immediately behind the front line, such as Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk – is more difficult, Kovalenko notes. – – The main systems capable of intercepting these missiles – the S-400 – Triumph – and the Buk-M3 – – are currently deployed near Moscow. Almost everything is concentrated there. Therefore, it will be more difficult for them to shoot down these missiles at short distances,– he says.
Kovalenko also notes that the FP-7's range covers the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the neighboring Russian regions: Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod. "From there, the missile can hit energy infrastructure and bridges, as well as targets in the immediate rear - for example, locations of Russian military units, ammunition depots and fuel and lubricant storage facilities", explains the military analyst.
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Source: www.dw.com