Ukraine’s newest ballistic missiles are weeks away from combat

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s latest domestically-made ballistic missile will be ready for combat by the end of next month, the country’s biggest defense company said, providing Kyiv with a new offensive option to combat what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls Russia’s “ballistic terror.” The president discussed the missile shortage as he repeated his call to allies to help bridge the gap in Ukraine’s air defenses and weapons production capabilities during his annual speech commemorating 35 years of Ukrainian independence on Monday. “A solution to [Putin’s] ballistic terror must be found, and this gamble of his must not pay off,” he said. Dubbed a lower-cost analogue of the U.S.-made ATACMS, Fire Point’s FP-7 ballistic missile can strike targets up to 186 miles (300 kilometers) away, depending on the size of its warhead, which can weigh up to 331 pounds (150 kilograms), according to company representatives. The missile was previously expected to be combat-ready no earlier than the end of 2026. Showing what Ukrainian defence tech looks like when its built for real war 🦾 pic.twitter.com/sCZtUkFEfy — Fire Point (@FirePointUA) August 19, 2026 Its accelerated debut comes as Kyiv seeks solutions to its shortage of ballistic interceptors and it doubles down on its “long-range sanctions” campaign of strikes on oil refineries and missile launchers across Russian territory. “The FP-7 is currently undergoing final tests in order to also receive certification and proceed to…