A Ukrainian defense manufacturer has released video footage of a test of its new short-range ballistic missile, marking another step in Kyiv’s effort to expand domestic missile production amid ongoing fighting with Russia.
The company, Fire Point, published the footage on X, with co-founder Denys Shtilierman stating that the FP-7 missile is capable of striking targets at distances of up to 200 kilometers, according to RBC-Ukraine.
What the FP-7 is designed to do
The FP-7 is a Ukrainian-developd short-range ballistic missile intended for precision strikes against ground targets. It is conceptually similar to the US-made ATACMS system, which Ukraine has used against Russian military infrastructure.
Unlike cruise missiles – which are continuously powered and fly at lower altitudes like pilotless aircraft – ballistic missiles are propelled upward before following a high-speed ballistic trajectory toward their target.
Earlier this week, long-range Flamingo cruise missiles struck the Votkinsk Plant in Russia’s Udmurt Republic, west of the Ural Mountains and about 1,068 kilometers (664 miles) east of Moscow. President Volodymyr Zelensky said all missiles launched reached the target – a facility that manufactures several Russian missile systems, including the Iskander-M, Topol-M and Oreshnik. He described the attack, carried out at a reported range of about 1,400 kilometers, as a success for Ukraine’s defense industry.
The FP-7, by contrast, is designed for shorter-range, high-speed strikes closer to the battlefield.
Technical specifications
According to information published by the manufacturer and cited by RBC-Ukraine, the FP-7 has:
A maximum range of up to 200 kilometersA 150-kilogram warheadA maximum speed of 1,500 meters per secondAn average speed of 800 meters per secondA reported target deviation of 14 metersA maximum flight time of 250 seconds
At an average speed of 800 meters per second, a 200-kilometer strike would take roughly four minutes.
The missile is based on the Soviet S-400 surface-to-air missile platform but has been adapted for surface-to-surface use. It requires specialized launch systems, a challenge the company says has been resolved.
Serial production of the FP-7 had been planned for late 2025.
Range limits and future plans
With a 200-kilometer range, the FP-7 could reach Russian cities near Ukraine’s border, including Belgorod and Bryansk, but it does not have the range to strike Moscow.
Fire Point is also developing a more powerful missile, the FP-9, which is expected to have a reported range of up to 855 kilometers. Development of that system is projected to begin in 2026.
Expanding Ukraine’s domestic missile program
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has accelerated efforts to expand indigenous missile production. Zelensky has repeatedly said that Ukraine must increase both the quantity and range of domestically produced weapons to reduce dependence on foreign supplies.
In addition to Fire Point, other Ukrainian companies and state enterprises are working on missile systems as part of a broader push to strengthen the country’s defense-industrial complex.
Fire Point’s earlier FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile became the company’s first serially produced system and has already been used operationally. The FP-7 ballistic missile represents the next stage in the company’s weapons lineup – focused on high-speed, shorter-range precision strikes.
The newly released test footage signals continued investment in Ukraine’s domestic strike capabilities as the country seeks to sustain and expand its long-range and tactical strike options amid ongoing fighting.