On July 14, Ukraine successfully tested a domestically developed ballistic missile. The announcement was made by former Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov as he summarized his tenure in office.
According to Fedorov, the work was carried out within the Ministry of Defense’s area of responsibility. During development, the technical requirements were fundamentally revised, the product’s accuracy was brought to its maximum, and its cost was reduced by 30%.
The official did not reveal the name of the missile system. He only noted that the results achieved would place Ukraine in a “new league” among countries capable of independently developing long-range weapons.
The outlet “Militarnyi” pointed out that the wording “Ministry of Defense’s area of responsibility” rules out the FP-7 and FP-9 missiles from the private company Fire Point, as those projects are developed outside the ministry’s structure. Meanwhile, before the ballistic missile FP-9 could be tested against targets in Russia, available data indicated that testing of its solid-fuel rocket engine still needed to be completed.
Other media lean toward the version that it is the Sapsan operational-tactical missile system (export name — Hrim-2), developed by Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, which is being implemented under the state missile program and falls within the Ministry of Defense’s area of responsibility. However, in December 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Defense Forces had already begun using Sapsan alongside Long Neptune, Palianytsia, and Flamingo.
The systematic buildup of Ukraine’s missile capabilities is also evidenced by the fact that back in March, the Defense Procurement Agency signed long-term contracts with domestic manufacturers of cruise and ballistic missiles.
In his final post, Mykhailo Fedorov also reported an overall increase in air defense effectiveness: drone interception rose from 83% to 91%, and cruise missile interception from 47% to 87%.