The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters in Armyansk, Crimea, was hit by Ukraine’s newly developed FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles. The strike occurred at dawn on 30 August, with three rockets launched against Russian targets. The attack also destroyed Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters at the Simferopol airfield. Initial reports suggested Neptune missiles had been used, but later confirmation pointed to Flamingo – a new long-range weapon capable of reaching 3,000 kilometers and carrying a warhead of over 1,000 kilograms, reports The WP Times citing Militarnyi.
The Flamingo system was created by the Ukrainian defense company Fire-Point and is considered the most powerful conventional cruise missile in Kyiv’s arsenal. With a launch mass of six tons and a wingspan of six meters, the missile flies at subsonic speed and uses both satellite and inertial navigation. It is compared to Germany’s Taurus and America’s Tomahawk, though larger and heavier.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Flamingo tests were successful and announced plans to begin mass production at the end of this year or early next year. Currently, production stands at one missile per day. Experts say the weapon could significantly shift the balance of the war by threatening Russian command and logistics hubs far behind the frontline.
The strike in Armyansk demonstrates Ukraine’s ability to field advanced long-range weapons produced domestically. Flamingo’s range and destructive power mark a new phase in Kyiv’s defense strategy, giving it tools to hit critical Russian targets far from the frontline. With confirmed plans for mass production, the weapon could soon become a central element in Ukraine’s military operations. Russia will likely be forced to adjust its logistics and command locations, reducing its freedom of maneuver near occupied territories. Experts suggest that if Flamingo is produced in significant numbers, it may influence both the tactical and strategic course of the war.
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