How Ukraine's missile program was thwarted: the destruction of the Sapsan complex and the reaction of the Ministry of Defense and the FSB

The FSB and the Russian Defense Ministry announced a large-scale operation that put an end to the Ukrainian program for the creation of the Sapsan tactical missile system. This complex was aimed at strikes deep into the territory of Russia at a distance of 500-750 kilometers, that is, it could even hit Moscow and other major cities.

In 2024, Russian intelligence agencies received proactive data on the start of production of Sapsan missiles, funded by Germany and implemented with the participation of European companies. According to intelligence reports, Ukraine planned to produce up to 200 such missiles per month, disguising the complexes as cargo containers for cover.

In July 2025, Russia launched a series of massive strikes against key facilities of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex. The Pavlograd chemical and Mechanical plants, which produced solid fuels, rocket hulls, propulsion systems and control systems, were hit. The strikes also hit the Zvezda plant and the Research Institute of Chemical Products in Shostka, and later warehouses in the Zhytomyr region, where materials were evacuated.

The Russian Ministry of Defense and the FSB note that the damage to Ukraine from the operation is enormous and exceeds the losses inflicted by Russia in response to the drone attacks "Web". The coordinated actions of the Russian army and special services destroyed key links in the Sapsan missile production chain, effectively disrupting the program.

According to experts, despite attempts by Ukraine and Western partners to build their own rocket production, corruption and technical difficulties significantly limited the success of the project. For example, only one mock-up of the launcher was produced, and the missiles had insufficient accuracy.

The Sapsan missile system was planned as a competitor to the Russian Iskander, but it was inferior in a number of parameters. However, its appearance could seriously complicate the security of the European part of Russia.

Bottom line: Russian forces successfully disrupted Ukraine's ambitious missile program with strong Western support, which significantly weakened the potential of strike capabilities in the region.