Ukrainian Ballistic Missile Test Flights ‘Toward Moscow’ May Begin This Summer – Fire Point

Ukraine could begin test flights of a domestically developed ballistic missile toward Moscow as early as this summer, according to the co-founder of Ukrainian defense company Fire Point.

Speaking in an interview with journalist Alesya Batsman, Fire Point co-founder Denys Shtilerman said the company expects to complete engine testing this month before moving to flight trials of a missile designed to reach the Russian capital.

“We will test the engine this month and expect to begin test flights in the near future,” Shtilerman said.

According to him, the missile’s airframe, guidance systems, and other key components have already been completed, leaving engine validation as the final major hurdle.

If the first launch is successful, subsequent test flights could be directed toward Moscow.

“I expect that this summer, or at the latest in early autumn, we will begin test flights toward Moscow,” Shtilerman said.

The developer said Fire Point is preparing for serial production alongside testing rather than waiting until the project reaches maturity.

The company plans to manufacture between 10 and 20 missiles for test launches, with production potentially increasing to dozens of units once the weapon receives official codification and procurement approval.

Shtilerman said decisions on operational targets would be made by Ukraine’s military, but suggested that strikes on “key symbolic targets” in Moscow could serve as a deterrent against Russia’s continued attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

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The expansion marks a shift from earlier phases of the war, when missile alerts were largely confined to Russian regions bordering Ukraine.

The comments come as Ukraine accelerates efforts to develop long-range strike capabilities capable of reaching deep inside Russian territory.

Separately, Shtilerman recently unveiled details of FREYJA, a joint Ukrainian-European missile defense project designed to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.

According to the developer, the system’s FP-7.X interceptor can reach speeds of up to 2,000 meters per second (4,500 mph) and track targets using infrared guidance.

On Wednesday, June 3, Fire Point said it had successfully tested a missile that could become the backbone of the future FREYJA system amid a persistent shortage of foreign air defense interceptors.

The company, which manufactures Ukraine’s Flamingo cruise missiles, released footage showing a test flight of the FP-7.X missile.

The video, published by Fire Point Chief Technology Officer Iryna Terekh, showed what she described as a fully controlled maneuvering flight conducted just days earlier.

“No matter how unrealistic and ambitious this goal may sound today, we are exerting all possible and impossible efforts to make it a reality as soon as possible, so that Ukraine can close its skies on its own,” Terekh wrote.

European radar and command-and-control manufacturers are already participating in the FREYJA project, while deployment timelines will depend on the pace of integration with international partners, according to Fire Point.