FP-9 Ballistic Missile Could Potentially Reach Moscow, Planned For This Fall — Zelenskyy

04.10.2026, 13:07 uatv.ua

Ukraine’s FP-9 ballistic missile could potentially reach Moscow, and the system is expected to be ready as early as this fall, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Reuters, UATV English reports.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces continue to make gains on the battlefield. According to the president, Ukrainian troops have regained control of up to 140 square kilometers of territory in Donbas as part of the ongoing “Vivaldi” operation.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believes the United States genuinely wants to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, but warned that attempts to find compromises with Moscow could become a way for the Kremlin to delay meaningful negotiations.

Zelenskyy said he trusts the United States and understands why Washington is trying to find compromises with Russia. However, he argued that dealing with Moscow on its own terms risks wasting time because Russian President Vladimir Putin can constantly introduce new demands and conditions.

“I think the United States really wants to stop Russia’s war. I trust them. At the same time, I understand that it is difficult to stop someone so big who does not want to stop,” Zelenskyy said.

According to the Ukrainian president, any concession or proposal that Moscow sees as potentially acceptable could lead to another set of demands. He pointed to changes in governments, European leadership and U.S. policy as opportunities Russia could use to introduce new conditions.

Zelenskyy also referred to the broader international situation, including U.S. efforts to address the confrontation between Israel and Iran. He argued that Moscow could seek to influence developments in the Middle East in a way that makes negotiations more difficult.

The Ukrainian president said Putin could similarly attempt to exploit U.S. domestic political priorities. With President Donald Trump seeking to demonstrate progress before the U.S. midterm elections, Zelenskyy warned that the Kremlin could calculate what concessions it is willing to make and what it will withhold in order to shape the outcome.

“This is the problem: Putin has started to think that he is the one who can decide,” Zelenskyy said.

He stressed that the balance of power between the United States and Russia remains heavily tilted toward Washington, arguing that the U.S. should keep this advantage in mind when dealing with Moscow.

“America is a hundred times stronger than Russia. Definitely. They just need not forget about it,” Zelenskyy said.

In another part of his Reuters interview, Zelenskyy said Ukraine expects to close its current financial deficit by the end of 2026 after several months of work with European partners.

He described the effort as a major achievement for Ukraine, its government team and the European Union, while acknowledging that balancing the country’s wartime finances had been difficult.

“Over the last few months, we have been working on our financial deficit. We will close the current deficit by the end of the year,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that several issues still need to be addressed, but said Ukraine’s work with its partners, particularly the EU, is progressing as planned. His team recently returned from Brussels and reported that the arrangements were working effectively.

Zelenskyy also said Ukraine plans to partially use funds from a loan intended for the following year earlier than initially planned. The money could be moved closer to January and used to place orders for drones needed in January and February 2027.

“We worked with our budget, with our partners, including the European Union, and we will also try to partially use the funds from the loan for next year. We will move this closer to January and use the money to order drones for January and February 2027,” he said.

The president expressed hope that cooperation with Ukraine’s European partners would continue at the same pace, allowing Kyiv to maintain financial stability while securing resources for defense needs in the coming year.

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