Ukraine Could Strike Moscow With Homegrown Ballistic Missiles This Autumn, Developer Says

Ukraine could launch its first strikes on Moscow using domestically developed ballistic missiles as early as this autumn, according to Denis Shtilerman, owner and chief designer of defense company Fire Point. Speaking in an interview with journalist Dmitry Gordon, published July 27, Shtilerman said the company is in the final stage of testing a new missile system. Once test launches are completed, the missiles could begin being used against targets inside Russia.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The military will decide where [to strike], but I think these will immediately be significant targets,” Shtilerman said. He said the timeline for deploying the missiles depends on the results of engine tests, including a final test stand burn. “We will install the engine on the stand, conduct a burn test and see how it performs. If there are any issues, we will fix them. But we are moving very quickly,” he said. The latest comments follow an earlier interview with journalist Alesya Batsman, in which Shtilerman said that Fire Point is preparing for serial production alongside testing. 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. Fire Point is one of Ukraine’s largest defense contractors, producing the FP-1 long-range strike drones and FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles. The company announced the development of its FP-7 and FP-9 ballistic missile projects in September 2025. Other Topics of Interest Romania Expels Russian Diplomat After Repeated Drone Incursions Bucharest showed Russia’s ambassador drone fragments as the latest airspace breach on Sunday marks the third such reported in three days. The first test launch of the FP-7 was shown in February. The missile is reportedly designed to strike targets at distances of up to 250–300 kilometers, while the larger FP-9 is expected to have a range of up to 850 kilometers. In June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was nearing completion of its own ballistic missile capable of striking targets on Russian territory. He said Ukraine’s previous strikes against Russian military facilities using domestically produced drones and missiles showed that the country would not “simply die silently” but would continue to respond and strengthen its defense capabilities. Ukraine previously announced the successful test of a next-generation ballistic missile in 2024, though its specifications were not revealed. Kyiv is also developing the Sapsan (Hrim-2) ballistic missile system, which has a reported range of 500 kilometers. Ukrainian officials said in June 2025 that serial production had begun, while Zelensky said in December that the missile had been used in its first combat operation. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.