Did Ukraine strike Russia with a new weapon? Military bloggers in both countries reported a possible first strike by a Ukrainian ballistic missile on Moscow on Tuesday.
According to the reports, a strike documented on video inside the Russian capital was caused by an FP-9 ballistic missile, after no air raid siren was heard and interceptions were observed at high altitude, far higher than the altitude at which cruise missiles and attack drones fly.
Last week, reports in Ukraine said the FP-9 missile was undergoing final engine tests ahead of its first operational trial. Firepoint, the company developing the missile, said the intention was to carry out the first test launches against the Russian capital, Moscow. The missile is a short-range ballistic missile with a range of several hundred kilometers, capable of striking targets up to 850 kilometers (528 miles) away with considerable accuracy, placing Moscow and St. Petersburg within its effective range.
Meanwhile, Ukraine attacked an oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa, as well as a strategic military-industrial facility in the Penza region that produces components for missile systems, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Wednesday morning.
In a post on Telegram, Zelenskyy said the refinery in Ufa, one of Russia's largest producers of lubricants, had been hit for the second time as part of Ukraine's ongoing long-range operation. He said the facility was located more than 1,300 kilometers (808 miles) from the front line.
Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces struck a facility in the Penza region involved in the development and production of missile components used in Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. "This is a just response to everything Russia is doing against us," Zelenskyy said. "Peace is needed, and Russia must end this war. The Russian leadership has every opportunity to do so."
