Ukrainians Confirm: FP-7 Ballistic Missile Ready by End of September
Fire Point triples budget for solid fuel plant in Denmark to €150 million and confirms timelines for two ballistic missiles that could strike Moscow.
Fire Point triples budget for solid fuel plant in Denmark to €150 million and confirms timelines for two ballistic missiles that could strike Moscow.
Ukrainian defense company Fire Point has tripled its budget for building a solid rocket fuel plant in Denmark, raising it to €150 million (about $175 million), CEO Irina Terekh announced on Wednesday. The additional funds will go toward constructing a new building, as the originally planned location did not meet technical requirements, according to the Kyiv Independent.
The plant is expected to begin operations by the end of 2027. This announcement comes after a period of uncertainty about the project's future, as Fire Point co-founder Denys Shtylerman claimed in May 2026 that construction had been "put on ice." The Danish government denied these claims, stating that "cooperation on establishing production in Denmark through Fire Point's Danish subsidiary is ongoing."
At a press conference during the DALO Industry Days exhibition in Denmark, Terekh also confirmed the timeline for two ballistic missiles, first announced in September 2025. The FP-7 missile, with a range of 300 kilometers (190 miles), is expected to be ready by the end of September 2026, while the FP-9, which can strike targets up to 800 to 850 kilometers (500 to 530 miles) away, should be completed by the end of the year.
At the exhibition, Fire Point also showcased a full-scale model of the FP-9 missile, along with models of the FP-7, the FP-1 one-way drone, and the FP-5 cruise missile. According to the company's specifications, the FP-9 has a range of 855 kilometers, a speed of 2,200 meters per second, a warhead weighing up to 800 kilograms, a maximum flight altitude of 70 kilometers, and an accuracy of about 20 meters. The smaller FP-7 has a range of 200 kilometers, a top speed of 1,500 meters per second, a 150-kilogram warhead, and can fly for up to 250 seconds. The FP-7's design closely resembles early versions of the 5V55 missile, the main armament of Soviet S-300 air defense systems, while the FP-9 visually resembles the Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile.
According to Forbes Ukraine, Terekh emphasized that the new missiles should help Kyiv secure a stronger negotiating position in peace talks with Russia. "Russians understand only the language of force," Terekh stated. Her remarks align with earlier announcements by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who expects the company to have a ballistic missile ready within weeks and a longer-range missile capable of striking Moscow by the end of autumn.
Fire Point co-founder and chief designer Denys Shtylerman said in July that the company is just one final stage of solid-fuel engine testing away from using the new missile against Russia. He claimed that once tests confirm the operability of all systems, the next FP-9 flight will be aimed at Moscow. Terekh previously said that the first test launch of the new ballistic missile is planned for autumn 2026 and that the company plans to build about 12 experimental units. Last July, a test of the FP-9 reportedly ended with the missile being intercepted far beyond Moscow.
Unlike cruise missiles, which are powered by jet engines and fly along a relatively flat trajectory, ballistic missiles are propelled by rocket engines that launch them high into the atmosphere before they descend on their target. They are guided only during the initial phase of flight, making them less accurate, but they have a key advantage: as they approach their target, they reach speeds exceeding 3,200 kilometers per hour (2,000 miles per hour). This makes them significantly harder to intercept, and only the most advanced air defense systems can shoot them down.
Fire Point is also part of the European Freyja project consortium, which is developing precisely such a system for intercepting ballistic missiles. Russia has intensified its ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine in recent months, exploiting Ukraine's dwindling air defense supplies, and deploying its own ballistic missiles could help Kyiv level the playing field on the battlefield. However, Russia already possesses advanced anti-ballistic missile capabilities, and last year, the Russian military and intelligence services managed to halt a Ukrainian project for the mass production of the Sapsan tactical ballistic missile, which had a range of 700 kilometers and a 480-kilogram warhead, following a series of strikes that destroyed production facilities.
Fire Point, a significant player in the Ukrainian defense market specializing in long-range drones and missiles, has come under intense scrutiny amid a major corruption investigation into Timur Mindych, a former business associate of President Zelensky. Audio recordings revealed during the investigation appear to confirm links between Mindych and Fire Point. The Kyiv Independent first reported last year that Mindych is allegedly the unofficial beneficiary of the company, which Fire Point has denied.
