A Ukrainian photojournalist with The Associated Press has shared a photo of an indigenously developed cruise missile, claimed to have a range of more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles).
A Ukrainian photojournalist with the Associated Press has shared a photo of an indigenously developed cruise missile, claimed to have a range of more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles).
The missile, named Flamingo, has entered serial production, photojournalist Efrem Lukatsky wrote after photographing it at a factory in an undisclosed location.
Lukatsky offered no additional details about the missile, developed by the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point.
The development has likewise not been confirmed by the Ukrainian government.
Based on the Emirati Missile
Ukrainian media, however, say the Flamingo is based on the FP-5 ground-launched missile developed by the Emirati defense firm Milanion Group.
Both missiles feature fixed wings and an engine mounted on top of the fuselage.
The FP-5, first shown at the IDEX-2025 expo in the UAE, seems to be inspired by the Soviet Tupolev Tu-141 reconnaissance drone, according to Euromaidan Press.
Ukraine reportedly used the Tu-141, with a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), to strike Russian air bases deep inside the country during the early phases of the war.
The Tu-141 Soviet-era reconnaissance drone. Image: Bernhard Grohl/ Wikimedia CommonsFlamingo Features
Meanwhile, the Flamingo reportedly weighs 6,000 kilograms (13,228 pounds) — four times the weight of the US Tomahawk cruise missile — and carries a 1,000-kilogram (2,205-pound) warhead.
It has a speed of 560 kilometers (348 miles) per hour and features satellite and inertial guidance to avoid air and missile defense.
The missile can fly twice as far as Ukraine’s longest-range weapons and carry a payload many times heavier.
Ukraine’s Missile Development
The development underscores Ukraine’s significant progress in long-range missile technology.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in November 2024 that Ukraine had completed production of its first 100 missiles.
In April, the president announced the deployment of a new 600-mile (966-kilometer) cruise missile, an extended-range version of the Neptune anti-ship missile.
