Zelensky says Ukraine used its new FP‑7 ‘Pelican’ ballistic missile in combat for the first time
President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine has fired its domestically produced FP‑7 “Pelican” ballistic missile in combat for the first time, as part of a wider overnight strike that also involved drones and cruise missiles against targets in and around Moscow.
Ukraine’s overnight strike on targets in and around Moscow also marked the combat debut of a new domestically produced ballistic weapon, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian sources.
Zelensky stated that during the attack on Moscow, Ukraine used the Pelican (FP‑7) ballistic missile for the first time. He didn’t specify the exact target or location for that launch, and one English‑language report quoting his remarks notes that the missile was not used against a target in Moscow Oblast.
In a separate statement about the wider operation, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had struck a key Russian oil‑industry facility and a logistics site in the Moscow region using several long‑range systems: FP‑1, RZ‑100, Palianytsia, Liutyi, Flamingo and Pelican. He described these targets as representing billions of dollars that support Russia’s war effort.
An additional Ukrainian report links the Pelican name to the FP‑7 ballistic missile produced by the Ukrainian company Fire Point, indicating that Pelican is the designation for that specific system. That same report repeats that the Pelican ballistic missile was used in combat during the overnight strikes.
Ukrainian sources also say the broader strike package combined multiple types of domestically produced drones and missiles. Lists circulating on Ukrainian channels include FP‑1, RZ‑100 “Morok” drones, Lyutyi and MICH‑2000 long‑range drones as munitions reportedly used in the large overnight attack, alongside Pelican. Another Ukrainian summary of operations in the Moscow region adds FP‑1, RZ‑100, MICH‑2000, Palianytsia, Vendetta, Liutyi, Bars, Flamingo, Sichень and Pelican as systems that were employed.
Evidence of other long‑range missiles appeared near the Russian capital. Debris from an FP‑5 Flamingo cruise missile was found about 20 km from Moscow, according to geolocated reports, suggesting that at least one Flamingo reached the city’s immediate vicinity. Ukrainian sources caution that it’s not yet known whether any Flamingo missiles actually hit their intended targets.
Taken together, the statements and debris reports point to a Ukrainian campaign that mixes various long‑range drones, cruise missiles and at least one new ballistic system to reach deep into Russian territory. The confirmed combat use of FP‑7 Pelican adds another domestically produced option to that arsenal.
Key questions now are how often Ukraine can field Pelican in future operations, how Russia adapts its air and missile defenses to this broader mix of threats, and whether Kyiv continues to reserve public announcements of new systems for high‑profile strikes like the overnight attack on Moscow and its surroundings.
Sources
- OSINT