Ukraine could strike Russia with its own ballistic missile for the first time within 3–6 months, says Fedorov
Ukraine may launch a first strike against Russian territory using a domestically produced ballistic missile within the next three to six months.
Fedorov stated that he expects the first launch of a Ukrainian ballistic missile against Russian territory by the end of 2026.
According to him, the development of such weapons accelerated significantly during his tenure as defense minister.
The former defense minister emphasized that Ukraine and Russia are effectively waging a technological war, in which both sides are constantly improving their military technologies.
In Fedorov’s view, Ukraine must stay ahead of Russia at every new stage of technological development and make decisions as quickly as possible regarding the creation and deployment of new weapons systems.
CBS News notes that, to date, Ukraine has largely relied on drones and cruise missiles for long-range strikes against Russian territory.
At the same time, ballistic missiles are significantly faster, so once a target is identified, it may be more difficult for the enemy to intercept them.
According to the publication, during Fedorov’s tenure at the Ministry of Defense, Ukraine has increased the scale of its long-range strikes on Russian territory tenfold and significantly ramped up its own weapons production.
Politico previously reported that the Ukrainian defense technology company Fire Point is finalizing the development of two types of ballistic missiles, which could be ready for deployment as early as the fall of 2026.
According to the company’s CEO and Chief Technical Officer, Iryna Terekh, these are:
- FP-7 – a tactical missile with a range of up to 200 km and a 150-kg warhead;
- FP-9 – a long-range ballistic missile.
Thus, according to Fedorov’s forecast, Ukraine’s own ballistic weapons could be deployed against Russian territory before the end of 2026.
Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov made this prediction in an interview with CBS News.
Ukraine and its partners should focus not only on intercepting Russian ballistic missiles but also on destroying production facilities and launch sites. To implement this strategy, Kyiv needs Western weapons and intelligence data to identify targets.
