KYIV — Ukraine has reportedly used its newly developed FP-7 tactical ballistic missile in combat for the first time, as fighting with Russia continues to escalate on multiple fronts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the development on Telegram on Thursday, saying the missile had achieved its “first combat use” and expressing optimism about its future production.
Zelenskyy did not disclose where the missile was deployed or identify the target.
The FP-7 is manufactured by Ukrainian defence company Fire Point, which says the system is being developed as a ballistic interceptor under Freyja, a European missile-defence programme launched this year.
Ukrainian military analysts have described the FP-7 as a short-range ballistic missile capable of reaching targets approximately 200 kilometres away. The weapon has been compared with the US Army’s Tactical Missile System, although analysts say the Ukrainian system is considerably cheaper.
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Ukraine has increasingly focused on developing domestic ballistic missile capabilities as it seeks to counter Russia’s repeated use of long-range missiles and other strike weapons.
Russian Drones Strike Kyiv
Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks struck multiple locations in Kyiv on Thursday, including a school and the Southern Bridge over the Dnipro River, Ukrainian officials said.
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The school was hit early in the morning while students were sheltering underground. Authorities said no injuries were reported.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko later said drones struck the Southern Bridge, with another attack reported later in the evening. The subsequent strike damaged part of the bridge’s support structure, sections of the road surface and protective structures around a metro crossing.
The attacks came after Ukrainian authorities warned of an intensifying Russian campaign against critical infrastructure and the country’s power grid as colder weather approaches.
Ukraine Continues Strikes on Russian Oil Facilities
Ukraine has also continued targeting Russian oil infrastructure despite calls from US President Donald Trump for Kyiv to reconsider attacks that Washington says are contributing to pressure on global fuel supplies.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had struck an oil facility in Russia’s Samara region overnight. He also reported attacks against a Russian vessel in the Black Sea and a facility associated with the launch and storage of attack drones in Russia’s Oryol region.
Russian authorities separately reported Ukrainian drone attacks around Volgograd, where industrial facilities, including a major oil refinery, are located.
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Kyiv has increasingly used long-range strikes against Russia’s energy infrastructure in an effort to disrupt fuel production and military logistics.
Europe Faces Growing Fuel Pressure
The conflict has also intensified concerns over fuel supplies in Europe.
European countries have reduced their dependence on Russian energy imports since the beginning of the war, increasing reliance on alternative suppliers, including the United States.
The disruption of energy supplies from the Middle East has added further pressure to global fuel markets. According to reports, the Trump administration has urged Germany and France to draw down emergency diesel reserves in an effort to ease market pressure, with the possibility of restrictions on US diesel exports reportedly raised during discussions with European allies.
G20 Ministers Condemn Attacks on Food Supplies
At a Group of 20 meeting in Milwaukee, trade ministers reportedly agreed that targeting food supplies during armed conflicts was unacceptable.
French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Nicolas Forissier said European officials had criticized Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s agricultural and grain infrastructure.
European representatives argued that attacks affecting Ukraine’s ability to export food pose risks beyond the battlefield, particularly for international food markets.
Moscow Issues Nuclear Warning Over Kaliningrad
Tensions between Russia and NATO also remained high, with Moscow warning that it could use nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad if NATO members attempted to isolate or blockade the Russian exclave.
Several Russian diplomatic missions in Europe claimed Moscow had information suggesting NATO was preparing for an air and naval blockade of the Kaliningrad region.
Asked whether Russia and NATO were approaching direct conflict or simply attempting to intimidate each other, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the characterization of Moscow’s warnings as intimidation.
“It’s not intimidation, it’s a response to an attempt to intimidate us,” Putin said.
Kaliningrad is a strategically important Russian territory on the Baltic Sea, situated between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
Putin Signals Possible Return of Seized Western Assets
Putin also said Russian authorities could potentially return assets belonging to Western companies whose businesses were seized by Moscow, depending on future circumstances.
Russia has taken control of assets belonging to several foreign companies since the invasion of Ukraine, particularly those that reduced or ended operations in the country.
Putin said the assets could be returned under what he described as a favorable scenario.
He also reiterated that Moscow would prefer to resolve the war in Ukraine through negotiations and said Russia wanted Ukraine to remain neutral after the conflict.
The latest developments come as the war enters another period of heightened military, economic and diplomatic tension, with Ukraine expanding its domestic weapons production while Russia continues missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian territory.
