News Feed

Ukraine's long-range Flamingo cruise missile enters serial production, media reports

2 min read
Ukraine's long-range Flamingo cruise missile enters serial production, media reports
A purported photo of a Flamingo cruise missile at an undisclosed Fire Point facility in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukraine's domestically developed long-range Flamingo cruise missile has entered serial production, Associated Press (AP) photojournalist Efrem Lukatsky reported on Aug. 17.

Lukatsky, who was given access to photograph the missile at an undisclosed workshop of the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point on Aug. 14, reported that the missile has a range of 3,000 km (1,864 miles).

The official technical specifications have not been publicly released.

Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the reported production. The production timeline has not been disclosed and it remains unclear when the Flamingo missiles will see regular use on the battlefield.

Domestically produced long-range weapons are of key importance to Ukraine's defense strategy, as Western partners have been slow in delivering adequate weaponry amid increasing Russian attacks and offensives.

In November 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had produced its first 100 missiles.

Since then, Ukraine has continued to increase domestic weapon production. Zelensky said on April 16 that over 40% of the weapons used on the front line are now produced in Ukraine, including over 95% of drones used on the battlefield.

In June, Ukrainian media reported that the homegrown short-range Sapsan ballistic missile had successfully completed combat testing and is in the process of serial production.

Zelensky also previously revealed that Ukraine had developed another domestic weapon, the hybrid Palianytsia missile-drone.

‘Little by little away from China’ — Inside Ukraine’s new mass-production of drone parts
From the dawn of Ukraine’s first-person-view drone industry up to a year ago, producers purchased almost all of the parts they used in assembly from Chinese firms. Today, Ukrainian companies have started mass-producing the various electronics, controllers, cameras, and even motors that make up a drone at home. The Chinese state-sponsored DJI, by some counts, has 75% of the global drone market cornered. Even manufacturers who make their own drones depend on Chinese makers in general and DJI in
Article image


Avatar
Dmytro Basmat

Senior News Editor

Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Read more
News Feed
Show More