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

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine's FP-9 ballistic missile, which is capable of reaching Moscow, will be ready this autumn.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Reuters

Details: Reuters noted that Ukraine reported the first combat deployment of its domestically produced FP-7 ballistic missile this week. The missile has a range of approximately 250 km.

Zelenskyy said he had phoned the manufacturer, Fire Point, to urge them to speed up development of the longer-range FP-9 model, which the company says will be able to strike Moscow.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "I said to them, where is my FP-9? [with a grin – ed.] We need the FP-9. And the FP-9 will be [ready] this autumn, I'm sure."

Details: Zelenskyy also pointed out that Ukraine has had to rely heavily on its F-16 and MiG fighter jets to shoot down about 60% of Russian jet-powered UAVs, but stocks of 20mm ammunition for these aircraft are running extremely low.

He said Kyiv is urgently seeking alternative solutions, particularly by enhancing its electronic warfare capabilities. The first delivery of small, inexpensive air defence missiles capable of shooting down the new Shaheds is expected in the second half of October.

Last week Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is developing five new interceptor models designed to down jet-powered Shaheds. Having just returned from a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Defence, he mentioned that the testing of two of these models had demonstrated a moderate success rate of around 30%.

Quote: "We'll have to scale it. I hope that with all these things, with all these elements, we'll find a way."

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