Ukraine Deploys 'Pelican' in Major Russia Strike — SkimNews
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- Zelenskyy announced Sunday's large-scale strike on Russia used several weapons for the first time including the 'Pelican' alongside FP-1, RZ-100, MICH-2000, Palianytsia, Vendetta, Liutyi, Bars, Flamingo, and Sichen, hitting one of Russia's key oil industry facilities and a logistics facility.
- Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 1,600 drones were intercepted during the attack with 450 heading for the capital, and at least three people were killed on the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections.
- The Pelican's classification is disputed: Ukrainian media linked it to Fire Point's FP-7 tactical ballistic missile with a 200km range, 150kg warhead, and 1,500 m/s projectile speed, while RBC-Ukraine cited unnamed sources calling it an aircraft-type drone; Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify either claim.
- Fire Point applied to register the Pelican trademark earlier this year per The New Voice of Ukraine; CEO Iryna Terekh said at a Polish defence exhibition that the FP-7 could begin deployment in weeks, and founder Denys Shtilerman said the system is cheaper than US-made ATACMS missiles.
- Ukraine's defence ministry said in February that domestic weapons production capacity grew 50-fold to $50bn, now meeting over half of Defense Forces' needs, and Zelenskyy said Saturday that military counterintelligence developed a new interceptor drone successfully deployed against Iranian-made Shahed drones.
- The Financial Times reported Trump spoke to Zelenskyy on Sunday urging him to stop attacking Russian refineries over concerns the strikes were worsening a global diesel shortage and raising fuel prices.
Why it matters: If the Pelican is confirmed as Fire Point's FP-7, it would be Ukraine's first domestically produced ballistic missile deployed against Russia, expanding Kyiv's strike options beyond cheaper cruise missiles and drones at a moment when domestic production already meets over half of Defense Forces' needs. The parallel Trump pressure to halt refinery strikes — citing global diesel supply — frames the weapon's debut inside a US-driven constraint on Kyiv's targeting choices.
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