Ukraine Wants to Test the FREYJA Anti-Ballistic Missile System This Winter — Zelenskyy

Ukraine expects to receive and test the European anti-ballistic missile system FREYJA as early as this winter. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this statement during a conversation with journalists in Denmark. According to him, Kyiv is also discussing with its partners the possibility of increasing production of this system.

 

Zelenskyy explained that Ukraine wants not only to receive FREYJA but also to test how effectively it can counter ballistic missiles. To this end, the system is scheduled to be tested under Ukrainian conditions. “We are not only talking about receiving FREYJA this winter and testing how this anti-ballistic system will perform, but also about the possibility of scaling up production,” the president noted.

Thus, Ukraine is considering two areas of cooperation with its partners simultaneously: testing the new system and increasing its production volume. If the agreement is successfully implemented, it could be another step toward strengthening Ukraine’s air defense.

Ukraine Expands Cooperation with Denmark and Norway

Zelenskyy discussed the development of FREYJA during his visit to Copenhagen. He had previously announced plans to open project offices in Denmark and Norway. This should help expand cooperation with European partners and involve them in work on the system. During talks with Danish authorities and representatives of the defense industry, the parties also discussed the development of a European missile defense system. This involves joint work on technologies that can strengthen protection against ballistic threats.

For Ukraine, such cooperation is of particular importance due to the constant threat of missile strikes from Russia. At the same time, there is currently no detailed information regarding the date of FREYJA’s delivery, the test site, or the number of systems Ukraine may receive. Therefore, Kyiv currently expects to move from agreements to practical testing as early as this winter. In parallel, negotiations will continue on how to expand FREYJA production. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this statement during a media briefing in Denmark. 

The first combat test of the Freyja anti-ballistic missile interceptor, which is being developed as part of a coalition of 10 countries, is scheduled for mid-2027. Iryna Terekh, CEO of the defense company FirePoint, announced this during the Defense and Space Summit in Brussels on September 30.

Ukraine is working to expand the Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition to create an effective, affordable, and mass-producible system to counter enemy missiles, with tests scheduled for this year.