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Ukraine successfully tested its first home-made ballistic missile.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the developments at a forum on Tuesday.
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There is little information about the weapon, but it is the latest Ukrainian innovation.
Ukraine has successfully tested its first domestically produced ballistic missile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday.
“Now that we are talking about it, I thought it might be too early to talk about it, but I want the public to appreciate the work of our people who work 24/7 in the defense industry. There was a successful first test of Ukraine’s first ballistic missile,” Zelenskyy said at the Ukraine 2024 Independence Forum in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy did not provide additional details about the test or the missile, but the development of a ballistic missile marks a significant milestone for Ukraine. It is unclear what stage of development the weapon is in or when it could be used against Russia.
News of the missile test comes as Ukraine remains limited in its ability to use Western missiles. For example, the U.S. has supplied Ukraine with tactical ballistic missiles — specifically MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, also known as ATACMS — but has banned Kiev from using the weapons to strike targets outside its borders.
Ukrainian officials have long tried to convince the United States and other Western countries to lift restrictions on Kiev’s use of weapons, arguing that doing so holds the country back and prevents it from effectively fighting the Russians. The Russians routinely fire missiles into Ukraine, targeting cities and critical infrastructure.
Zelensky’s comments about the missile test, published by UNITED24, a Ukrainian government initiative that finances Kiev’s war effort through fundraising initiatives, came amid a broader discussion about other homemade weapons.
Ukraine has produced a wide variety of home-made weapons during the war, including naval drones and anti-ship missiles. It has also repurposed these missiles for land attacks.
And last weekend, Ukraine unveiled a new long-range drone that could bring dozens of Russian airfields within range.
“The Palianytsia rocket was launched recently and it is a very serious matter. There were some problems, but they have been resolved,” the Ukrainian president said at Tuesday’s forum. “This is an essential defense for our state.”
His comments came a day after Russia launched its largest attack on Ukraine in the war, which Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said underscored the need for more long-range weapons.
“This proves once again that for victory we need long-range capabilities and the lifting of restrictions on attacks on enemy military facilities,” he wrote on Facebook. “Ukraine is preparing its answers. Weapons of its own production.”
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