Zelensky reveals use of mysterious "Pelican" system in major strike on Russia
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine employed a new weapon dubbed “Pelican” during a large-scale attack on Russia that hit oil and logistics facilities.
In a social-media post, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a broad attack on Russia’s Moscow region employed dozens of weapons, among them a system called “Pelican”. The raid struck a major oil installation and a logistics centre, assets that finance the Russian war effort, and resulted in at least three fatalities. Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed more than 1,600 drones were shot down, including 450 headed for the capital.
Military analysts are uncertain whether the Pelican is a tactical ballistic missile or an unmanned aircraft, with Ukrainian media linking it to Fire Point’s FP-7 missile, which can reach targets up to 200 km away and carry a 150 kg payload. Fire Point’s CEO and chief designer have highlighted the FP-7’s speed of 1,500 m/s and lower cost compared with U.S. ATACMS. Ukraine’s defence ministry reports a fifty-fold increase in domestic weapons output, now covering over half of the armed forces’ needs, and recent successes with interceptor drones against Iranian-made Shahed attacks. The Pelican’s debut could signal a new phase in Ukraine’s long-range strike capability.
Why it matters
The appearance of a new Ukrainian long-range weapon could alter the balance of strikes in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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