Ukraine's Indigenous FP-9 Ballistic Missile and Project Freya Interceptor Move Nearer to Flight Tests

Ukraine's Indigenous FP-9 Ballistic Missile and Project Freya Interceptor Move Nearer to Flight Tests

Ukraine's domestic defense industry is on the verge of a major technological milestone as Kyiv-based defense startup Fire Point prepares its new, long-range FP-9 ballistic missile for its first engine and flight trials.

FP-9: Designed to Reach Moscow and St. Petersburg

According to Fire Point's chief designer and co-founder, Denys Shtilerman, all major development work on the FP-9 has been completed, with only the solid-fuel engine awaiting validation.¹ The engine is scheduled for testing in July 2026, with flight trials set for the summer and operational battlefield testing expected by autumn 2026.

The FP-9 is a ground-launched ballistic missile designed to carry an 800 kg warhead to a range of 855 km, placing both Moscow and St. Petersburg within its operating envelope.

In a rare on-camera interview with Ukrainian channel Pressing, Shtilerman stated:

“We have everything for the FP-9, which can reach Moscow, except the engine.”

To achieve this, Fire Point had to construct a solid-fuel propellant plant from scratch, establishing a sovereign capability Ukraine's defense sector previously lacked. Shtilerman argued that long-range ballistic trajectories are the only economically and militarily viable option to bypass the heavy air defenses ringing Moscow, noting that a 300 km ballistic missile costing $600,000 per shot makes sense compared to cruise missiles or drones at that range.

Project Freya: Low-Cost Ballistic Missile Defense

In addition to the FP-9, Fire Point is leveraging its ballistic missile airframe development (specifically the FP-7, built on the airframe of the Soviet-era 48N6 interceptor) for Project Freya. This is a low-cost, domestic ballistic missile defense interceptor intended as an affordable alternative to the American Patriot system.²

To support the system's targeting capabilities, Fire Point signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Germany's Hensoldt for the integration of the TRML-4D radar. Fire Point claims it could deliver the first Freya interceptors by the end of 2026 if European governments accelerate regulatory approvals.