Ukraine’s use of a weapon identified as “Pelican” in a large-scale attack on Russia has triggered debate among military analysts over whether the system is a tactical ballistic missile or an aircraft-type drone.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listed Pelican among several domestically developed systems used during Sunday’s strikes, saying the attacks hit a major Russian oil-industry facility and a logistics site in the Moscow region.
“The systems used included FP-1, RZ-100, MICH-2000, Palianytsia, Vendetta, Liutyi, Bars, Flamingo, Sichen and Pelican,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
Russian authorities said the attack killed at least three people, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted, including about 450 headed towards the capital.
The uncertainty surrounding Pelican stems partly from Ukraine’s emerging long-range weapons programme.
Ukrainian defence company Fire Point recently announced development of the FP-7 tactical ballistic missile, which officials said could be deployed within weeks. The system is reportedly designed to strike targets up to 200 kilometres away with a warhead weighing as much as 150kg and a maximum projectile speed of 1,500 metres per second.
Ukrainian media have linked the FP-7 to the Pelican designation, but there has been no official confirmation establishing that the two weapons are the same system.
The Kyiv Post reported the connection, while The New Voice of Ukraine said Fire Point had applied earlier this year to register “Pelican” as a trademark.
Another Ukrainian outlet, RBC-Ukraine, citing unnamed sources, reported that Pelican was an aircraft-type drone.
The reports have not been independently verified by Al Jazeera, leaving the weapon’s precise design and capabilities unclear.
The development comes as Ukraine expands domestic weapons production amid the war with Russia. Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said in February that national weapons-production capacity had grown 50-fold to $50 billion, with domestic manufacturers supplying more than half of the military’s weapons and equipment needs.
Ukraine has also expanded the use of interceptor drones against Russian Shahed attack drones. Zelenskyy said a new interceptor developed by the Security Service of Ukraine’s military counterintelligence unit had already been successfully deployed.
The competing development of long-range missiles and drones comes as Moscow and Kyiv continue striking each other’s energy, logistics and industrial infrastructure.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil facilities and supply networks, while Russia has continued attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure.
The latest escalation has also drawn attention in Washington. The Financial Times reported that US President Donald Trump spoke with Zelenskyy on Sunday and urged him to halt attacks on Russian refineries, citing concerns over their potential impact on diesel supplies and fuel prices.
Ukraine’s ‘Pelican’ weapon sparks debate over missile or drone
