Ukraine Unveils the “Flamingo” Cruise Missile With a Claimed Range of 3,000 km, but Its Capabilities Raise Doubts

Earlier this month, Ukraine unveiled a new cruise missile. With a declared range of 3 000 kilometers and a warhead weighing more than a ton, the “Flamingo” looks like a formidable weapon. Even if only half of its specifications are accurate, it can strike targets across much of European Russia. Even more striking is that it moved from concept to serial production in just nine months—rather than the years or decades typical for the industry. The project was overseen by a team that, by its own account, had no prior ties to the defense sector. “I was very skeptical at first,” admitted one official following the development. “But when I saw the finished missiles, I was stunned.”

Fire Point, a private company with no prominent track record, says the first sketches appeared in late 2024, when Ukraine was in urgent need of a long-range deterrent. The inspiration came from historical models such as Germany’s V-1 and the Soviet Strizh—all of which, like the Flamingo, had their engine mounted on top of the fuselage. The name began as an inside joke: women occupied the top management posts, and the prototypes were painted pink.

Little is known about the missile itself. A similar model, the “fp5,” was showcased in the UAE in February, but why the project was presented there and how Fire Point is linked to an Emirati company remains unclear. According to the firm, production is “more than 90%” based in Ukraine, at dispersed secret sites. The fuselage is made of fiberglass to reduce visibility. The engine is believed to be a Motor Sich AI-25 turbofan from Zaporizhzhia, a region regularly targeted by Russian strikes and thus vulnerable. Current output is one missile per day, with plans to reach seven by October.

The pace and the precise alignment with military needs seem almost implausible. Competitors suspect close ties to the presidential office, opaque financing, and even possible foreign origins. Fire Point denies the allegations. The price—“under €1 million” ($1.2 million) per unit—is competitive on the global market, but represents a heavy cost for Ukraine. Critics also note that the missile is bulky and climbs steeply at launch, making it easier to spot on radar. “At maximum range a Russian fighter has time to take a smoke break,” one rival quipped.

Meanwhile, Fire Point has become the focus of an investigation by NABU over its drone production activities. According to a government source, “the origins of Fire Point now appear to be a priority.” The probe began several months ago—shortly before Volodymyr Zelensky attempted to curtail the powers of the anti-corruption bureau. Industry insiders claim that soon after its founding in 2023, the company was producing “barely functional drones” while enjoying generous preferential state funding. By 2024, Fire Point had sold the Defense Ministry long-range FP-1 drones worth 13.2 billion hryvnias—one-third of the annual drone budget. NABU is investigating whether the company inflated component costs or delivery volumes, or both.

Fire Point itself says it has sold about 2 000 drones at a price of $55 000 each. From 2023 to 2024 its revenue grew from $4 million to more than $100 million. In 2025 the company expects to secure over $1 billion in Ukrainian contracts and another €5 billion from Germany, while producing around 9 000 drones.

The Kyiv Independent reports that there are “no obvious ties” between Fire Point and oligarch Myndych. Yet the biographies of its founders inevitably evoke associations with the president’s circle. Owner Yehor Skaliga worked as a location scout for Ukrainian films before the war, and in 2019 signed a letter opposing Petro Poroshenko’s attempt to dismantle Ukraine’s film agency—together with Andriy Yermak and other figures from the film industry. Technical director Iryna Terekh created concrete installations before joining the presidential office’s business council in December 2024, alongside some of the country’s biggest entrepreneurs. In April 2025, both she and Skaliga were appointed to a new government council of 82 business leaders. “No one can choose between Yermak and Myndych as to whom we are connected,” Terekh joked, dismissing rumors of political patronage. She also accused Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov of spreading “speculation,” which, she said, NABU had merely “copied” into its investigation.

Despite the controversies, military analysts believe the missile could prove effective. “Ukraine is known for combining attacks to overload air defense systems. Over time the damage to Russia will become far more severe,” noted aviation expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap. Already, slower Ukrainian drones have disabled at least 13% of Russia’s oil refining capacity.