Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed concerns over the international reluctance to embrace Ukraine’s development of ballistic capabilities. He pointed to Russia as the primary adversary in this domain but suggested that other players might also prefer to limit competition with Ukrainian manufacturers.
“There are not many people and companies in the world that want such competitors. Do you understand what ballistic weapons mean for Ukraine? Do you comprehend the significance of having our own ballistic missiles or anti-ballistic systems? Currently, there are no effective missile defense systems in Europe to counter such threats,” Zelensky stated.
He highlighted existing Western air defense systems capable of countering ballistic missiles, naming NASAMS produced with Norwegian and U.S. collaboration, as well as Germany’s IRIS-T and the Franco-Italian SAMP/T. According to Zelensky, only a handful of powerful systems exist on the European continent.
“Ukraine is emerging in this landscape. This is life. It does not imply that our partners are against us; they support us. However, we understand that beyond politics and values, there are also financial interests and business considerations. Therefore, we must fight for everything and carve out our place,” the president added.
Context
- Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced the successful test of a Ukrainian ballistic missile on July 14, developed under the Ministry of Defense’s oversight. Early in August, Fire Point’s Chief Technical Officer Iryna Terekh suggested this could refer to either a modernized “Sapsan” or the FP-9 ballistic missile her company is developing.
- Fedorov later clarified that the project had been in development for a decade, possibly implying it referred to the “Sapsan.”
