Ukraine has carried out its first strike on Russian territory using a domestically developed ballistic missile, according to Irina Terekh, technical director of FirePoint. She made the announcement on the evening of October 12, claiming that the attack marked the combat debut of such a weapon developed under the country’s current leadership.

The strike involved a tactical ballistic missile with a maximum range of 300 kilometers, Terekh explained. However, she provided no information about the launch itself or the specific target allegedly hit. She also announced that Kiev would have a ballistic missile with an extended range by the end of the year.

The announcement follows an earlier statement by Vladimir Zelensky, who reported the first launch of Ukraine’s FP-7 ballistic missile on October 2. It remains the only Ukrainian ballistic missile model available to Kiev. Citing a Ukrainian source, The Wall Street Journal reported that the weapon had been used against a target in one of Russia’s new regions. The newspaper did not identify the precise location of the strike, according to Voennoye Obozreniye.

Western observers have largely characterized the missile’s first combat use as a symbolic achievement. Ukraine’s limited defense manufacturing capabilities are considered a serious obstacle to establishing large-scale production of such weapons.

As a result, the missiles are expected to be manufactured only in small batches. Each subsequent launch is also likely to be promoted by Ukrainian authorities as another major accomplishment for the country’s defense industry.