An important meeting between Ukraine and its partners on the FREYJA project took place in Norway. The first system is due to be tested soon.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this at the YES conference.
“We met with all the countries and all the companies that are building components for our Freya system. At the end of December, we hope to begin testing the first system. At least, that is the task. We must do it in winter... If the testing is successful, we will start production,” the head of state said.
Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine needs immediate protection from Russian attacks, as the Russians are already striking not only military infrastructure, the agro-industrial sector and ports, but are destroying everything in Ukraine that drones can reach — schools, hospitals, petrol stations and residential buildings.
“The war is at a different stage — it is an open war. Not a ‘special military operation’, but an open war by Russia against all living things with a single aim — the full occupation of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
What Is Known About the “Freya” Project
- Russian ballistic attacks are particularly painful for Ukraine because of a shortage of missiles capable of intercepting them. Anti-ballistic stocks have been further depleted by the war in the Middle East. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, this year there have already been several attacks in which Ukraine was unable to shoot down a single ballistic missile because it had nothing to do so with. For now, only PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defence systems can counter ballistic threats.
- Against this backdrop, Ukraine has stepped up efforts to create its own air defence system capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. It cannot provide production of everything needed on its own, so it is inviting foreign partners to join. The anti-ballistic “Freya” system is intended to become an analogue of Patriot in terms of intercepting ballistic targets, but with more mass production and at a lower cost.
- The system’s prototype is expected to be ready by mid-2027, the National Security and Defence Council has said. Ukrainian missile and drone manufacturer Fire Point, which developed the Flamingo cruise missile, said it would be the project’s leading industrial partner. In June, the company announced an agreement with German defence manufacturer Hensoldt to supply radars for the project.
- Ukrainian drone and missile manufacturer Fire Point has signed agreements with more than a dozen foreign defence companies to supply radars, guidance systems and other components for the “Freya” missile defence project. The company has already begun integrating these systems.
- In recent days, the head of state reported preparations to consider, at the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff meeting, issues related to the development of FREYJA and additional Ukrainian deep strikes.