Updated
Updated · Kyiv Independent · Aug 16
Ukraine Could Launch Domestic Ballistic Missiles at Russia Within 6 Months, Fedorov Says
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Independent · Aug 16

Ukraine Could Launch Domestic Ballistic Missiles at Russia Within 6 Months, Fedorov Says

3 articles · Updated · Kyiv Independent · Aug 16

Summary

  • Three to six months is the timeline Mykhailo Fedorov gave for Ukraine to begin using domestically produced ballistic missiles against targets inside Russia, with a first launch possible before year-end.
  • Ballistic missiles would add a faster, harder-to-intercept strike option to a deep-attack arsenal that has so far relied mainly on long-range drones and cruise missiles.
  • Fire Point tested a ballistic missile in June, part of Kyiv's broader push to expand homegrown long-range weapons as Russia continues regular ballistic attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
  • Fedorov said the program accelerated during his tenure as defense minister, which ended in July after Zelensky dismissed him amid reported tensions with army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
  • Thousands protested his removal again in Kyiv on Aug. 16 ahead of parliament's Aug. 18 return, underscoring how Ukraine's wartime weapons drive is colliding with domestic political strains.

Insights

Will Ukraine’s new homegrown ballistic missiles strike Moscow before Russian forces can destroy the secret factories building them?
Did a secret clash over this 855-kilometer range missile project actually trigger the sudden dismissal of Ukraine's defense minister?
Can a war-torn nation successfully mass-produce a revolutionary sub-million-dollar interceptor to replace depleted Western air defenses?