As Ukraine prepares for a winter of intense Russian strikes, it is also developing new ways to keep Russian forces on their toes and raise the cost of sustaining the war for Moscow.
In the space of just a few days, Kyiv confirmed the first combat use of its new domestically developed FP-7 ballistic missile, and Ukrainian troops shared footage showing tanks pushing into Russian positions under the protection of multiple kinds of drones.
And the world thought tank warfare was over.
Two Big Developments
The two developments prove that Ukraine is stepping up and preparing to resist Putin’s efforts to claim the entire Donbas region over the winter, even as Zelenskyy insists he is prepared to meet the Russian president and negotiate an end to the war.
Ukraine’s FP-7 ballistic missile could give Kyiv a supply of domestically produced ballistic missiles that doesn’t depend on Washington approving the replenishment of American ATACMS—as soon as the manufacturing base can produce them in substantial numbers.
And new methods for deploying tanks could help Ukrainian troops maneuver through the drone-dominated “kill zones” that have made armored assaults more dangerous than ever.
Neither development is likely to change the course of the war in the short term, but they do demonstrate how Ukraine is adapting, continuing to fight, and preparing for Russian escalation in the months ahead.
Ukraine’s New Ballistic Missile
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this week that the new domestically developed FP-7 ballistic missile had been used in combat for the first time.
The missile, developed by Ukrainian defense firm Fire Point, was seen in video footage being launched at night against an unnamed target inside Russian-occupied Ukraine.
Zelenskyy thanked those involved in the launch and said the next step is to produce the missile.
Ukraine refused to say what the missile targeted, and without a statement from Russia, analysts have been incapable of determining whether the launch caused any damage.
The missile is new to the battlefield, but not to analysts or war observers.
Fire Point publicly displayed the FP-7 alongside the longer-range FP-9 at defense exhibitions through the summer.
In August, CEO Iryna Terekh said that the company expected the first combat trial to take place at the end of September.
In September, Terekh confirmed that two stages of testing had been completed and combat testing was only weeks away – and it was.
Fire Point, launched in 2022 after the Russian invasion, can carry a payload of up to 150 kilograms over a range of 200 kilometers. It is said to have a maximum speed of 1,500 meters per second.
Why the FP-7 Changes Things
A 200-kilometer range means that the FP-7 can reach Russian command posts and other military sections well behind the front lines.
Ukraine already possesses longer-range strike drones and cruise missiles, including the now-famous FP-1 and FP-5 Flamingo.
Ballistic missiles, however, present Russia with a different problem because they travel much faster than conventional long-range drones and therefore require more capable air defense systems and interceptors to stop them.
The FP-7 is said to reach altitudes of 37 miles and can carry a warhead three times more powerful than the one fitted to the FP-1 drone.
Now, though, Ukraine must manufacture enough ballistic missiles for them to make a strategic difference.
With enough of them, Ukraine can put Russian air defenses to the test and raise the cost of sustaining the war even more.
And Fire Point is already building something much bigger, listing its FP-9 ballistic missile with a range of up to 855 kilometers and a payload of 800 kilograms.
Ukraine Is Using Tanks Again
The proliferation of drone warfare has meant that tanks on both sides of the war are being used differently.
But rather than utilizing the “shoot and scoot” method, whereby tanks are rolled out to launch strikes and then moved back into protected areas, Ukraine is again confidently sending them out into combat zones.
In late September, Ukraine’s 475th Separate Assault Regiment, known as CODE 9.2, released footage of two heavily protected Ukrainian tanks attacking Russian positions around Vilkhuvatka in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast.
According to Ukrainian military news outlet Militarnyi, which analyzed the footage in late September, the tanks were sent out under the protection of FPV drones, reconnaissance UAVs, and heavy VAMPIRE bomber drones.
According to WarArchive, the geolocation coordinates place some of the footage around Vilkhuvatka.
The tanks also had additional protection, but the drone swarm made the news more interesting.
Reconnaissance drones provided surveillance and spotting as the tanks advanced, while Ukrainian FPVs and VAMPIRE bomber drones provided additional support.
The tanks then drove over light mines without being disabled and approached buildings held by Russian forces, opening fire directly against them.
The tanks were reportedly targeted by Russian FPVs during their withdrawal, but both tanks successfully and safely returned.
The developments show that Ukraine is finding new ways to challenge Russian forces, and suggest that the war could again look different in the coming years – assuming a peace deal isn’t coming any time soon.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, and he produces and edits analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
