Ukraine fires FP-7 ballistic missile in combat for first time, Zelenskiy says

Ukraine has used its new domestically produced FP-7 tactical ballistic missile in combat for the first time, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Thursday.

Writing on Telegram, Zelenskiy confirmed the weapon’s battlefield debut with a brief message: "First combat use. Thank you for the result. Next – production." He also shared a video showing a night-time launch, though the military has kept the target, the location, and the outcome of the strike secret.

What is the FP-7 ballistic missile?

The FP-7 is a ground-launched, short-range ballistic missile developed by the Ukrainian defence firm Fire Point.

Military analysts describe the missile as a cheaper, domestic alternative to the US-supplied ATACMS. According to technical data published by military analysts, the weapon has a range of between 200km and 250km, carries a 150kg warhead, and can travel at speeds of around 1,500 metres per second.

Rather than hitting strategic targets deep inside Russia, the FP-7 is built for tactical strikes closer to the front lines. Its primary targets are expected to be Russian logistics hubs, air defence batteries, and drone launch sites.

Deploying its own ballistic missiles is a priority for Kyiv, which has struggled to match Russia's massive missile inventory and has faced strict Western limits on where it can fire US and European-supplied weapons.

The Freyja defence project and the FP-9

Beyond standard ground attacks, the FP-7 is being integrated into a broader European missile defence initiative.

Fire Point is developing the missile to double as a ballistic interceptor under the Freyja programme—a joint effort launched this year with European allies to build a cheaper alternative to the US Patriot air defence system. Ukraine hopes to have a prototype of the Freyja system ready in the first half of next year, according to Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council.

Even as the FP-7 enters production, Fire Point is already working on its successor. The company is developing the FP-9, a larger ballistic missile with a projected range of up to 850km. Company officials say they expect that longer-range model to be ready by the end of 2026. If successful, it would put Russian missile production plants and deep-tier military infrastructure within Ukraine's independent reach.

Ongoing aerial escalation

The missile's debut comes amid intensifying aerial warfare. Russian forces have launched a fresh wave of drone strikes across Ukraine, hitting a school in Kyiv and damaging the Southern Bridge over the Dnipro River.

At the same time, Ukraine has continued its own drone campaign against Russian oil infrastructure, recently striking a refinery in the Volgograd region and an oil facility in Samara.