Zelenskyy: FP-9 ballistic missile capable of reaching Moscow will be ready this autumn

What Happened

In an interview with Reuters, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s FP-9 ballistic missile, which manufacturer Fire Point says will be able to strike Moscow, will be ready this autumn. Zelenskyy said he had phoned Fire Point to urge faster development after Ukraine reported the first combat deployment of its domestically produced FP-7 ballistic missile this week, a missile with a range of approximately 250 km. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine has had to rely heavily on F-16 and MiG fighter jets to shoot down about 60% of Russian jet-powered UAVs, but stocks of 20mm ammunition for those aircraft are running extremely low. He said Kyiv is urgently seeking alternative solutions, particularly by enhancing electronic warfare capabilities, and that the first delivery of small, inexpensive air-defence missiles capable of shooting down new Shaheds is expected in the second half of October. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is developing five new interceptor models designed to down jet-powered Shaheds, and that testing of two of those models had demonstrated a moderate success rate of around 30%.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The FP-9 would give Ukraine a domestically produced ballistic missile with the claimed range to hit Moscow, potentially reducing reliance on Western-supplied deep-strike weapons and any associated range restrictions. The simultaneous disclosures about depleted 20mm aircraft cannon ammunition and new low-cost air-defence interceptors highlight Kyiv’s effort to sustain defences against Russian jet-powered UAVs while expanding its own strike options.

Watch For

Monitor whether the FP-9 is actually fielded in autumn and whether Fire Point confirms production or test timelines. The first delivery of small, inexpensive anti-Shahed missiles is expected in the second half of October; subsequent testing and scaling of the five interceptor models, particularly the two with around 30% success rates, will indicate whether Ukraine can offset ammunition shortages before winter.