The Ukraine FP-7 missile has seen its first use in battle, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The announcement came on day 1,682 of the war, a day that also brought fresh Russian attacks on Kyiv, more Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities, and sharp rhetoric over Kaliningrad.

A New Weapon Enters the Fight

Writing on Telegram on Thursday, Zelenskyy confirmed the first combat use of the FP-7 tactical ballistic missile. He thanked those involved for the result and said the next step is production. He gave no details on where or how the missile was used.

The manufacturer, Fire Point, says the FP-7 is being developed as a ballistic interceptor under Freyja, a European missile defence programme launched this year. Ukrainian military analysts describe it as a short-range weapon with a reach of about 200 kilometres, similar to the US Army’s Tactical Missile System but far cheaper.

The timing matters. Ukraine’s missile output lags well behind Russia’s, and Kyiv sees its own tactical ballistic missiles as a key answer to Moscow’s frequent use of similar weapons.

Kyiv Under Fire Again

Russian drones struck a school in Kyiv early Thursday. All students were safely in a shelter, and no injuries were reported. Later, two drones hit the Southern Bridge over the Dnipro River, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. A second strike that evening damaged a support, part of the road surface and protective structures around the metro crossing on the bridge.

These attacks follow what Ukrainian officials called the opening of a cold-weather campaign against the country’s power grid, launched on Wednesday.

Ukraine Keeps Hitting Russian Oil

Kyiv is pushing on with strikes on Russian refineries despite pressure from Donald Trump, who blames them for worsening a global diesel shortage and lifting fuel prices. Zelenskyy said Ukraine hit an oil facility in the Samara region, a Russian vessel in the Black Sea, and a drone launch and storage site in Oryol. Drones also targeted industrial sites in Volgograd, home to a large refinery.

By Ukrainian estimates, the campaign has knocked out more than 45 percent of Russia’s refining capacity, causing fuel rationing in some regions and long petrol queues.

Fuel Pressure Reaches Europe

Europe has grown more reliant on US fuel after banning Russian imports and after the US-Israeli war on Iran disrupted Middle East supplies. According to three people close to the talks, the Trump administration has told Germany and France to draw down emergency diesel stocks to ease prices, or risk a possible US diesel export ban.

G20 Condemns Attacks on Food Supplies

At a G20 trade ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee, ministers agreed it is “not acceptable” for countries to target food supplies in conflicts. France’s Nicolas Forissier said European officials criticised Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s grain sector, calling their comments simply the truth.

Moscow’s Kaliningrad Warning

Russia warned NATO it would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad if any alliance members tried to cut it off. Several Russian embassies in Europe said Moscow has information that NATO is preparing an air and naval blockade. Asked whether both sides were merely trying to intimidate each other, Putin said it is not intimidation but a response to an attempt to intimidate Russia.

Seized Assets and Talk of Peace

Putin also said assets of Western companies that Russia seized could be returned under a “favourable scenario.” Last month he ordered the takeover of businesses belonging to Nestlé, Auchan, the former Leroy Merlin chain and Metro. He added that Russia would prefer to end the war through talks and wants Ukraine to be neutral afterward.

What to Watch Next

• Whether Ukraine moves the FP-7 into mass production
• The condition of Kyiv’s power grid as winter approaches
• Whether Trump’s pressure changes Ukraine’s refinery strikes
• How Europe responds to the US demand on diesel reserves

The Bottom Line

Ukraine is building up its own long-range tools while Russia presses its assault on cities and energy. With fuel markets strained and nuclear warnings flying over Kaliningrad, the war’s effects are reaching well beyond the front line.