Zelenskyy Confirms First Combat Use of Ukrainian FP-7 Ballistic Missile

Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Thursday that Ukraine has used its new FP-7 tactical ballistic missile in combat for the first time. The president posted on Telegram, stating, “First combat use. Thank you for the result. Next – production,” though he did not disclose the specific location or circumstances of the strike.

According to Fire Point, the missile’s manufacturer, the FP-7 is being developed as a ballistic interceptor under Freyja, a European missile defense program launched this year. Military analysts describe the weapon as a short-range system with an approximate range of 200km, similar to the US Tactical Missile System but at a significantly lower cost. For Kyiv, whose missile production currently trails Russia’s, developing indigenous tactical ballistic missiles has become a key component of its strategy against Moscow’s frequent missile attacks.

The announcement came as Russian drones struck a school and a major bridge in Kyiv, causing fires in the capital. City officials reported that the school was hit early in the morning, but all students were in shelters and no injuries were sustained. Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that two drones hit the Southern Bridge around noon, with a subsequent late-evening strike damaging a support structure, part of the roadway, and protective elements near a metro crossing.

Zelenskyy also reported continued Ukrainian operations against Russian infrastructure, including a strike on an oil facility in the Samara region, a vessel in the Black Sea, and a drone launch and storage site in the Oryol region. These attacks are part of a broader campaign that Ukrainian estimates say has neutralized more than 45% of Russia’s refining capacity, leading to fuel rationing and long lines at petrol stations across Russia.

The strikes come despite pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has blamed the attacks for contributing to global diesel shortages and rising fuel prices. In response to the supply disruptions, the Trump administration has urged Germany and France to draw down emergency diesel reserves or face potential US export bans, as Europe increases its reliance on American fuel following the ban on Russian imports and conflicts disrupting Middle Eastern supplies.

At the G20 trade ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee, French minister Nicolas Forissier stated that European leaders found it “not acceptable” for nations to target food supplies during conflicts, specifically criticizing Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s grain sector. He described the European stance as merely stating “the truth” regarding Russian aggression.

In a separate development, Moscow warned NATO that it would employ nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad if the alliance attempted to blockade the Russian exclave. Several Russian embassies claimed intelligence suggested NATO was planning air and naval blockades of the region. When asked if tensions indicated an imminent war or mutual intimidation, President Vladimir Putin stated it was “a response to an attempt to intimidate us.”

Putin also indicated that seized assets of Western companies, such as Nestlé and Auchan, could potentially be returned under a “favourable scenario.” He reiterated Russia’s preference for ending the Ukraine conflict through negotiations and insisted on Ukraine’s neutrality following the cessation of hostilities.