Zelensky Announces First Ukrainian Ballistic Missile by Fall 2026 as 40-Day Deep-Strike Campaign Ends

Results of the 40-Day Deep-Strike Campaign

On August 4, 2026, the 40-day "influence operation" — which Zelensky approved in late June — formally concluded . Key results reported include:

• Over 100 strategic military and industrial targets inside Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories were struck by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) during the campaign .
• The strikes targeted Russian air bases, oil refineries, military production facilities, logistics hubs, and fuel-energy infrastructure .
• The campaign combined long-range drone and missile strikes deep inside Russia with frontline operations .
• Assessments of the campaign's strategic effect differ sharply: Ukrainian sources describe it as a significant deep-strike success, while Russian sources characterize it as a failure that did not rattle the economy .

Fire Point Controversy

The missile and drone manufacturer Fire Point — which produces the bulk of Ukraine's long-range drones and is central to the FREYJA anti-ballistic missile project — remains under multiple clouds:

• NABU corruption investigation: Since August 2025, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau has been investigating Fire Point over allegations that it inflated the cost of components and the number of drones supplied to the Ministry of Defence .
• Links to a wider corruption scandal: In early 2026, the company became entangled in a major energy-sector corruption scandal involving alleged ties between Fire Point and businessman Tymur Mindich .
• Russian strike on its factory: On August 8, 2026 itself, Russia claimed it struck the "Kyiv-11" Fire Point plant — the factory developing long-range weapons including the Flamingo cruise missile — in an overnight attack .
• CEO Denys Shtilerman has not been personally accused of wrongdoing, but anti-corruption investigators have scrutinized the company's contracts and pricing .
• Despite the controversy, Fire Point has recently secured agreements from over a dozen European defense companies to supply radar, guidance, and other systems for the FREYJA missile defense project .