Ukraine debuts its own FP-7 ballistic missile in combat, capable of hitting targets 250 kilometers away

Ukraine debuts its own FP-7 ballistic missile in combat, capable of hitting targets 250 kilometers away

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced this Thursday the first combat use of the FP-7, a new tactical ballistic missile developed and manufactured in Ukraine. The president published a video showing a night launch of the weapon and announced that the next step will be to increase its production, although he did not reveal where it was launched from, what the target was, how many missiles were involved or the results of the attack, reports The War Zone.

The new FP-7 has been developed by Fire Pointa Ukrainian defense company that has grown rapidly since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. The company began manufacturing drones and currently produces the FP-1 and FP-2 long-range attack missile, in addition to the cruise missile FP-5 Flamingowhile also working on the ballistic missile FP-9with some 850 kilometers planned scope.

According to data provided by Ukraine and the company itself, The FP-7 can hit targets at around 250 kilometers and carries a warhead weighing around 150 kilograms.. Its speed is around 1,500 meters per second, about 5,400 km/halthough they are features that have not been independently verified.

Its function will be different from that of Ukrainian drones capable of exceeding 2,000 kilometers and cruise missiles intended for longer-range attacks than the FP-7 is capable of. Fire Point has been designed primarily for attack logistics centers, air defense positions, drone bases and other targets relatively close to the frontwhere its speed and short flight time make interception difficult and allow for rapid response.

Ukraine is not starting from scratch in the development of this type of ballistic weapons. The country also has the Sapsanknown during its development as Hrim-2an older program that Zelensky confirmed had begun combat use in late 2025.

Rendering of the FP-7. Fire Point.

The importance of the FP-7 also lies in the fact that it expands kyiv’s ability to reduce its dependence on Western weaponry. Being a Ukrainian system, Their employment is not conditioned by the restrictions that foreign suppliers impose on their weapons. Its scope places it more as a complement to the ATACMS Americans than as a direct substitute.

The same technology developed for the FP-7 will also be used for a project with a completely different purpose. Fire Point has created the FP-7.Xan interceptor derived from the ballistic missile that is part of freyjaa European initiative aimed at developing a cheaper ballistic missile defense that can be produced in much larger quantities than current interceptors. A test launch of the FP-7.X can be seen in the following video:

Fire Point intends for each interceptor to cost less than a million euros when it reaches serial production and works with European companies to integrate radars, guidance systems and seekers. The announced objective is to achieve a first effective interception during 2027.

Fire Point’s cooperation with European industry also extends to its offensive weapons. Diehl Defense has signed a technological agreement with the Ukrainian company to manufacture the Flamingo cruise missile in Germany, a collaboration that could facilitate technologies developed by Fire Point to be completed integrating into European plans to expand its long-range strike capabilities.

The main question now is how many FP-7s Ukraine can actually manufacture after its combat debut. kyiv has not revealed the units that exist or the planned production ratetwo pieces of information necessary to know if the new missile ends up becoming a weapon used regularly or in limited quantities.