Ukraine tests domestic long-range missiles, eyes 2025 for full production launch, says defense official
Flight tests of domestically developed cruise and ballistic missiles are yielding positive results, according to defense export chief Oleksii Petrov in an interview to OBOZ.UA.
Ukraine’s defense industry is making significant strides toward domestic weapons production, with plans to manufacture its own cruise and ballistic missiles by mid-2025, said Oleksii Petrov, the director of the Ukrainian enterprise Spetstechnoexport, which specializes in export and import of military and dual-purpose products and services globally.
In the third year of the full-scale war with Russia, Ukraine has been actively developing its own cruise and ballistic missile capabilities in additions to deliveries of advanced missile systems from Western allies, such as Storm Shadow/SCALP and ATACMS missiles, which Ukraine, however, is not allowed to use deep inside Russia to prevent nuclear escalation.
Long-range weapons allow Ukraine to reach targets beyond the front lines, including supply depots, command centers, airfields, and logistics hubs inside Russian-controlled areas. Striking these targets disrupts Russia’s operational capabilities by hampering resupply and reinforcements, and also decreasing Russian abilities for long-range strikes on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure.
In an interview to OBOZ.UA, Petrov revealed that flight tests of these weapons are already underway.
“I’ve seen the tests, only flight tests so far, but there are results,” Petrov said.
Ukraine produces domestic NATO-standard artillery shells
He also stated that Ukraine has begun manufacturing NATO-standard 155mm artillery shells to reduce reliance on external supplies and enhance self-sufficiency in ammunition production.
This development comes as Ukraine faces ongoing challenges in ammunition supply, with forces requiring constant replenishment of both NATO and Soviet-standard shells.
Petrov noted that 152mm and 122mm Soviet-standard ammunition remains in high demand due to existing artillery systems.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported a significant increase in domestic ammunition production, with output in the first half of this year exceeding the entire 2022 production by 25 times.
The president also stated that Ukraine significantly increased its production of the 2S22 Bohdana, a domestically designed 155mm self-propelled howitzer. As of October 2024, monthly output has reached approximately 20 units, doubling the production rate from April 2024.
In August, Ukraine announced the deployment of a new long-range domestically produced drone named Palianytsia, enhancing its capability to strike deep into Russian territory.
While Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov described it as a missile-drone costing under $1 million, UAV expert and Armed Forces officer Yurii Kasianov clarified that the weapon is technically a cruise missile, estimating its cost at $160,000.
Related:
- Airfield assassin: Ukraine’s Palianytsia drone threatens Russian rear
- Ukraine’s monthly production of Bohdana howitzers increased to about 20, Zelenskyy announces
- Kuleba: Ukraine needs more long-range missiles, air defense, ammunition to eliminate Russian aerial bomb threat
- WP: Ukraine creating domestic HIMARS alternative, long-range missiles
