A Ukrainian lawmaker has revealed that his country secretly conducted air-based space launches while fighting Russia's invasion. Fedir Venislavskyi, head of a parliamentary subcommittee on security and defense, said two rockets were launched from a transport aircraft flying at approximately 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) in Ukrainian airspace. According to his statements, both rockets crossed the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.
Venislavskyi made the claims in an interview with local media outlet RBC Ukraine. He positioned the launches as a demonstration of technological capability developed during active warfare. The official suggested this method could eventually help counter advanced Russian weaponry.
The lawmaker specifically mentioned Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic missile as a potential target for such technology. He framed the secret launches as paving the way for future defense applications, though he provided no specific dates for when the events occurred.
If verified, the claims would represent a significant and clandestine technological achievement by Ukraine's defense sector under extreme wartime conditions. The development of air-launched space access capability could alter assessments of Kyiv's indigenous aerospace and missile defense potential.
However, the announcement comes solely from a single political figure without independent confirmation from military or scientific authorities. The strategic value against hypersonic threats remains speculative without demonstrated interception data.