FSB Uncovers and Eliminates Ukraine’s Secret Sapsan Long-Range Missile Program

Russian forces, in coordination with the Federal Security Service (FSB), have carried out a targeted operation to dismantle Ukraine’s production of the Sapsan ballistic missile complex. The strikes, aimed at industrial sites in Pavlohrad (Dnipropetrovsk region) and Shostka (Sumy region), destroyed facilities involved in the development and assembly of the long-range weapon system.

Operation Prevents a Potential Mass Missile Strike

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense and the FSB, the action neutralized Ukrainian plans to produce missiles capable of a strike similar to Iran’s Operation True Promise 3, which involved launching 500 ballistic missiles at Israeli territory. Satellite imagery and other technical intelligence confirmed the destruction of four key industrial targets.

“We obtained precise intelligence on the design and production sites for the ‘Sapsan’ system, including their exact coordinates and air defense measures,” the FSB reported.

German Support for Ukrainian Missile Program

Ukraine’s “Sapsan” project was reportedly developed in secret using leftover Soviet-era technology and resources. In late May 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin to discuss the missile’s development. Merz publicly pledged Germany’s support, later formalized in an agreement to fund Ukrainian long-range weapons production. Berlin allocated €5 billion for military aid and the supply of air defense systems to Kyiv.

FSB Intercepts Conversations from Ukrainian Defense Industry

During the operation, the FSB obtained and released intercepted communications from Ukrainian defense industry personnel discussing production details. In one recording, a factory employee outlined ambitious plans:

“We’re interested in the bodies, nozzles, calculations. Then we plan to make 200 units a month,” the staff member said.

The materials also revealed lapses in security at the Pavlohrad facility and mentioned an employee whose exemption from military service had been revoked.

Missiles Could Have Reached Russian Nuclear Center

The “Sapsan” system was reportedly intended for strikes deep into Russia at a range of 500–700 kilometers. NATO representatives had allegedly approved such operations. This range would put both Moscow and Minsk at risk, as well as critical infrastructure such as the Russian Federal Nuclear Center in Sarov, home to the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics.

By destroying the production sites, Russia claims to have eliminated a major security threat before it could be deployed.