Anti-ballistic coalition to meet in France to support Ukraine's homegrown 'Freya' air defense project

Ukrainian officials and a coalition of eight European partners will soon hold their first meeting dedicated to the joint development of Kyiv's "Freya" anti-ballistic missile systems, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 9.

"Freya" is a Ukrainian air defense system currently in development. Designed by the defense firm Fire Point — which produces the highly effective FP-1 and FP-2 strike drones as well as Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missile — Freya is intended to specifically protect against Russian ballistic missiles.

In comments to reporters on July 9, Zelensky described the development of Freya as a collaboration with European partners, under Ukrainian leadership.

"Our first meeting on this matter will take place in France. It will happen in the near future," Zelensky said.

At this meeting, Ukraine will present a proposal to fast-track the development of Freya systems by working with European partners, who would in turn be able to use Freya for their own ballistic missile defense.

According to Zelensky, the Freya air defense system would be equivalent to the U.S.-made Patriot in terms of effectively intercepting ballistic missiles. The aim, however, is for Ukraine's version to be "mass produced and less expensive."

Producing Freya interceptors at such a scale requires parts and products from Europe that Ukraine does not yet have, he said.

"(W)e can do this on our own, but it will take years. That's a very long time," Zelensky said. "But now we can do it very quickly thanks to this anti-ballistic coalition."

There are currently eight countries who have signed on to the anti-ballistic coalition, the president told reporters, without specifying which nations. He said the proposal for the Freya development project would be presented to the coalition "in the coming days."

"If the leaders, their manufacturing capabilities, and their companies support Freya, Freya will become a reality in the near future," he said.

Zelensky did not specify when the coalition would convene.

While Fire Point announced a successful test of the Freya system on June 3, analysts say the system is still many months away from obtaining initial operating capability. Even then, many experts are skeptical that it will be able to achieve the anti-ballistic efficacy rates of the Patriot system.

But with Ukraine facing a critical lack of Patriot interceptors and a barrage of Russian missile strikes, finding alternative ways to tackle the ballistic threat has become a top priority. The reportedly successful trial of the FP-7.X interceptor — the Freya system's missile component — offered hope, with Fire Point Co-Owner and Chief Designer Denys Shtilierman claiming mass production could begin as early as August 2026.

Zelensky said the success of the Freya project could be a "major breakthrough" for Ukraine's defense industry.

"We will then close Ukraine's airspace with our own capabilities," he said.