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Ukraine used its FP-7 tactical ballistic missile in combat for the first time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Writing on Telegram on Thursday, the Ukrainian president said: “First combat use. Thank you for the result. Next – production.” He did not say where or how the FP-7 had been used. The missile’s manufacturer, Fire Point, says it is being developed as a ballistic interceptor within the European missile defence programme, called Freyja, launched this year. Ukrainian military analysts describe the FP-7 as a short-range missile with a range of about 200km (125 miles), likening it to the US army Tactical Missile System but much cheaper. Ukraine – whose missile production is well behind Russia’s – has viewed development of its own tactical ballistic missiles as an important element of its response to Russia’s frequent use of them in its attacks.
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Russian drones smashed into a school in Kyiv and an important bridge over the Dnipro River on Thursday, triggering fires in the capital, officials said. The school was struck early in the morning, but all the students were in a shelter and no injuries were reported, city authorities said. As Russian forces engaged in almost non-stop attacks on the city, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two drones hit the Southern Bridge around noon. A new strike late in the evening damaged a support, part of the road surface and protective structures around the metro crossing the bridge. On Wednesday, Russian forces unleashed what Ukrainian officials described as the start of a cold-weather strike campaign against Ukraine’s power grid.
