President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has released a video of the first combat use of Ukrainian ballistic missiles.
The clip appeared on his social media pages.
“Ukrainian tactical ballistic missile. FP-7. First combat use. Thank you for the result. Next comes production,” the head of state wrote.
- Russian ballistic attacks are particularly painful for Ukraine because of a shortage of missiles capable of intercepting them. Anti-ballistic stockpiles have been further depleted by the war in the Middle East.
- According to Ukraine’s Air Force, there have already been several attacks this year 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 independently ensure production of everything required, so it is inviting foreign partners to join. The “Freyja” anti-ballistic system is intended to be an analogue of Patriot in terms of intercepting ballistic targets, but with larger-scale 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. Fire Point, a Ukrainian missile and drone manufacturer that developed the Flamingo cruise missile, said it would be the lead industrial partner in the project. In June, the company announced an agreement with German defence manufacturer Hensoldt to supply radars for the project.
- Development of the Freyja interceptor within an anti-ballistic coalition involving 10 countries is proceeding at an accelerated pace. The first interception of a ballistic target is planned for mid-2027, FirePoint CEO Iryna Terekh said recently.