Ukraine has begun developing its own FREYA anti-ballistic missile system, designed as a cheaper and more easily mass-produced alternative to Patriot. The first international meeting on the project is expected to take place in France in the near future.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the initiative while answering questions from journalists.
According to him, Ukraine plans to involve national leaders, defence companies and national security advisers from countries capable of providing manufacturing and technological support.
“This is our Ukrainian anti-ballistic defence system. The project is intended to become an analogue of Patriot for intercepting ballistic targets, but one that can be produced on a larger scale and at a lower cost. It is a European model,” Zelenskyy said.
The president stressed that Patriot remains the leading system for countering ballistic threats. Ukraine also expects to receive next-generation French SAMP/T NG systems, which are capable of carrying out similar tasks.
However, production of both systems remains limited and delivery queues are long. Zelenskyy said this was why Ukraine had decided to launch its own European project.
“If national leaders, their production capacities and their companies support FREYA, the project will come to life in the near future,” he said.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine currently has a “window of opportunity” because it has become stronger both on the battlefield and in the air. According to him, Russia no longer has an advantage apart from its ability to carry out ballistic missile strikes against civilians.
The president added that he had discussed the situation with US President Donald Trump and other world leaders, who had also noted Ukraine’s growing strength.
Zelenskyy separately commented on fuel shortages in Russia, saying Ukraine had already disrupted Moscow’s traditional energy exports and forced it to seek additional fuel imports.
“If Yeltsin had known that more than 20 years later Russia would be importing energy instead of exporting it because it foolishly decided to start a war, he would have chosen a different ‘successor’,” Zelenskyy said.
