Russia Claims Ukraine Deployed Domestic Ballistic Missile in Strike

The Russian defense ministry reported the interception of a long-range operational-tactical ballistic missile during a large-scale strike on Tuesday. This represents the first time Russia has claimed that Ukraine used a domestically developed ballistic missile in combat. The intercept occurred alongside the downing of 602 fixed-wing drones and seven guided aerial bombs.

Russian military sources, including the blog Voyennyy Osvedomitel, report that the missile was shot down in the Moscow region, leaving a large impact crater. Pro-Russian channels suggest the weapon is the FP-9, a ballistic missile developed by the Ukrainian firm Fire Point with an estimated range of 850 kilometers. The FP-9's chief designer, Denys Shtilerman, previously indicated that test flights toward Moscow were planned for summer or early autumn.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck a major Russian satellite communications complex near Moscow on Tuesday. However, the Ukrainian government has not publicly confirmed the use of a ballistic missile, and Russia has not provided evidence linking the interception specifically to the FP-9 program.