PUBLISHED on August 18, 2025, 11:22 AM EDT – Key Points and Summary – Ukraine is entering production of its new “Flamingo” cruise missile, a domestically produced weapon with a reported range of 3,000 km, capable of striking targets deep inside Russia.
-With a massive 1,000-kg warhead, the subsonic missile is designed to escalate Ukraine’s strategic bombardment campaign against Russian factories and airbases.
-The development comes as Ukraine faces challenges intercepting Russia’s increasingly sophisticated ballistic missiles.
-The Flamingo, inspired by an Emirati design which was itself based on a Soviet-era missile, represents a significant step forward for Ukraine’s indigenous defense capabilities.
Ukraine’s Flamingo Cruise Missile Is Entering Production
Ukraine’s Flamingo cruise missile, which promises to strike deep into Russia, Associated Press (AP) photojournalist Efrem Lukatsky reported on Facebook this week, complete with a photo taken in a workshop of the Fire Point defence company at an “undisclosed location in Ukraine.”
The photo is the first picture of the missile to surface, after its existence had essentially been a rumor for a long time.
Per the Kyiv Independent, the missile “has a range of 3,000 km (1,864 miles).”
It’s not clear what the timeline is for the missile’s production.
“The missile class has a range exceeding 3000 kilometres, allowing it to strike targets across European Russia and into Siberia. The subsonic missile has a speed of Mach 0.75, making it one of the slowest in the world, although it carries an above-average warhead size at 1000 kilograms,” Military Watch magazine reported about the missile.
Flamingo Is “For Blasting Russia’s Factories”
Once the missiles are online, according to Military Watch, the ability to strike deeper into Russia would allow for repeats of Ukraine’s June 1 Operation Spider’s Web operation, when Ukraine struck Russia’s strategic fleet in various areas of the country.
Per Euromaidan Press, the new missile “may be one of the hardest-hitting missiles in the world,” although it’s unclear how many the Ukrainians can afford.
“The Flamingo, a product of Kyiv-based manufacturer Fire Point, weighs in a staggering 6,000 kg,” the report says. “That’s four times what the American Tomahawk cruise missile weighs. The rocket-propelled Flamingo should be able to haul a 1,000-kg warhead over a distance of 3,000 km while under satellite and inertial guidance.”
The report also suggests a potential use for the missile: striking Russian factories at long range.
“Speeding along at 560 km/hr, the ramp-launched missile should be able to avoid all but the best Russian air defenses. Ranging twice as far as the best current Ukrainian deep-strike munitions, and with a warhead that several times heavier, the Flamingo has the potential to significantly escalate Ukraine’s strategic bombardment campaign targeting Russian factories, air bases, and oil refineries.”
The missile’s inspiration appears to be the FP-5 missile from the Emirati firm Milanion, which in turn was inspired by a missile from Russia itself, the Tupolev Tu-141.
The Missile War
Per Business Insider, Russia has approved its missiles of late, and Ukraine has been struggling to shoot them down, according to a recent U.S. defense intelligence assessment.
The report from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General found that “the Ukrainian Air Force has struggled to consistently use its Patriot systems to intercept Russian ballistic missiles due to recent ‘tactical improvements’ that Moscow made to the weapons.”
Per The War Zone, the Russians have added “enhancements that enable their missiles to change trajectory and perform maneuvers rather than flying in a traditional ballistic trajectory.”
“Ukraine has received three Patriot batteries from the United States, as well as two from Germany, one from Romania, and another one consisting of components supplied by Germany and the Netherlands,” The War Zone reported.
“The Ukrainian armed forces have also received a variety of different interceptors to use with those systems. American authorities announced last month that they were working with European allies to get additional Patriot batteries to Ukraine’s military. Patriot currently represents the only robust defense Ukraine has against incoming ballistic missiles.”
TWZ also cited a Special Inspector General report, stating that “the UAF [Ukrainian Air Force] struggled to consistently use Patriot air defense systems to protect against Russian ballistic missiles due to recent Russian tactical improvements, including enhancements that enable their missiles to change trajectory and perform maneuvers rather than flying in a traditional ballistic trajectory.”
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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