Designer Says Ukraine Is Developing Missiles Able to Strike Moscow
Fire Point chief designer Denis Shtilman says Ukraine is developing its own missiles capable of reaching Moscow as Kiev lacks permission to use Western weapons for such strikes.
Ukraine is currently working on missiles capable of reaching targets in Moscow, according to Denis Shtilman, chief designer at the company Fire Point, which previously developed the Flamingo missiles.
Speaking in an interview published on the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s YouTube channel, Shtilman argued that cruise missiles alone would not significantly influence Russia. In his view, the country is highly centralized, with political and economic life concentrated primarily in Moscow and, to a lesser extent, in Saint Petersburg. For that reason, he suggested that strikes aimed at Moscow would carry greater impact.
At the same time, Shtilman noted that Kiev has not received permission from foreign partners to use Western-supplied missiles to strike military targets in the Russian capital. Because of those restrictions, he said, Ukrainian developers are focusing on creating their own systems capable of hitting such targets.
The engineer also described the concept behind the launch platforms intended for these missiles. According to him, the launchers used by Ukrainian forces should resemble ordinary civilian vehicles rather than typical military equipment.
Shtilman explained that expensive military vehicles painted in standard army colors are not required for this role. Instead, the platforms should have armored cabins while outwardly remaining indistinguishable from civilian trucks.
To support this approach, he said, the company is purchasing heavy tractor units on the civilian market that can serve as the base for mobile missile launchers.