Ukraine should not advertise its new ballistic missiles until factories can mass-produce them, ex-security officer says

Ukrainian forces successfully tested a domestically produced ballistic missile earlier in 2026, but mass production will take time and require proper equipment, former Ukrainian Security Service officer Ivan Stupak told RBC-Ukraine. He warned Ukraine against Russia-style hype about the new weapon before its serial production is stable.

Successful test, no time for hype

Stupak said Ukrainian forces had conducted a test launch of a ballistic missile at one of the ranges earlier this year. 

"Without going into details: satisfied with the launch, satisfied with the flight, satisfied with the dummy's hit. Where needed, in the coordinates we wanted," the former intelligence officer said.

He cautioned against staging "PR" at every stage. Better to first do, test, adjust, launch — and only then report the result, Stupak said.

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The main challenge, in Stupak's view, is not building a single prototype but setting up serial production.

"This cup — it's not a problem to make one. Even I can cut something similar out of cardboard. But when you say: 'I need 10 thousand by the end of the week — where do I get them?' Need equipment, order materials, contract supplies," he said.

He compared the process to making a cardboard cup: first batches can be crooked, of different sizes, and the technology takes time to refine.

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"Don't repeat the Russians' mistakes"

Stupak warned against excessive publicity that could play against Ukraine. He cited Russia's Armata tank, which Moscow had hyped for years, unveiled with fanfare in 2015 but never fielded, as an example.

"We're just standing in the same line with the Russians. How they scared us with the Armata? It never appeared. We're laughing at it. And in the same way, we shouldn't advertise our missiles until we have stable serial production," he said.