Ukrainian President Zelensky warns Russian missiles could reach Paris in 12 minutes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia possesses powerful ballistic missiles that could soon be capable of striking targets up to 5,000 km away, including major European capitals. He noted flight times of 2–5 minutes to Kyiv, about 7 minutes to Warsaw, 8 minutes to Berlin and a maximum of 12 minutes to Paris.

The remarks have prompted European nations to reassess their air‑defence posture. Ukraine has launched the FREYJA project, a collaborative ballistic‑missile defence system involving nine European countries, aimed at creating a comprehensive ecosystem to counter such threats. Iryna Terekh, CEO and CTO of Ukrainian defence firm Fire Point, stressed that FREYJA is purely defensive and not an offensive weapon.

Zelensky’s warning underscores growing concern across Europe about the range and speed of Russian missile capabilities and the need for coordinated defensive measures.