FP-5 Flamingo
In the crucible of conflict, necessity often becomes the mother of invention. The FP-5 'Flamingo' is a striking testament to this, a Ukrainian-developed cruise missile that emerged from the front lines to redefine long-range strike capabilities. Born from a unique startup, it combines an impressive punch with remarkable affordability, poised to shift the dynamics of modern warfare. The FP-5 Flamingo is a low-cost, long-range cruise missile developed by a Ukrainian startup, leveraging innovative solutions and repurposed components. With a heavy warhead and a 3,000 km range, it poses a significant threat to strategic targets deep within Russia, challenging conventional air defenses. Its rapid development, serial production, and initial combat use highlight Ukraine's growing indigenous defense capabilities amidst ongoing conflict.
AI Summary
In the crucible of conflict, necessity often becomes the mother of invention. The FP-5 'Flamingo' is a striking testament to this, a Ukrainian-developed cruise missile that emerged from the front lines to redefine long-range strike capabilities. Born from a unique startup, it combines an impressive punch with remarkable affordability, poised to shift the dynamics of modern warfare.
- The FP-5 Flamingo is a low-cost, long-range cruise missile developed by a Ukrainian startup, leveraging innovative solutions and repurposed components.
- With a heavy warhead and a 3,000 km range, it poses a significant threat to strategic targets deep within Russia, challenging conventional air defenses.
- Its rapid development, serial production, and initial combat use highlight Ukraine's growing indigenous defense capabilities amidst ongoing conflict.
The Flamingo Takes Flight
Meet the FP-5 'Flamingo'—a ground-launched cruise missile that has quickly become a symbol of Ukrainian innovation in the face of adversity. Revealed in August 2025, this formidable weapon packs a massive 1,150 kg (2,540 lb) warhead and boasts a staggering range of 3,000 km (1,900 miles).
That means it can reach targets far beyond the front lines, deep into Russian territory. What makes it even more remarkable is its origin: it's not from a long-established arms manufacturer, but a Ukrainian defense startup called Fire Point.
Born from Necessity
Fire Point itself has an intriguing backstory. Founded by a group of friends with backgrounds as diverse as construction, game design, and architecture—not traditional military experts—they embarked on this ambitious project right after the 2022 Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The missile first broke cover during a test launch in southern Ukraine, captured by a photojournalist in August 2025. Just days later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proudly announced its serial production, hailing it as 'the most successful missile we have'.
A Name Shrouded in Mystery
And why 'Flamingo'? The story has a few colorful versions. Some reports suggest early prototypes were accidentally painted pink due to a factory error. A more intriguing theory, highlighted by The Economist and Politico, is that the name deliberately celebrates the significant role of women in senior leadership positions at Fire Point, with pink prototypes used to support this branding.
A Shared Pedigree?
Observers and open-source intelligence analysts have noted striking similarities between the FP-5 Flamingo and another missile advertised by the UK-registered Milanion Group, which operates out of the UAE. The design, capabilities, and even the model number are identical.
This has led some to suggest that Fire Point might operate 'under Milanion's umbrella,' leveraging their technology and connections for local production. While much of the development is domestic, Fire Point confirms that over 90% of the final assembly occurs in Ukraine, a critical detail for national security and resilience.
Reaching Deep
The Flamingo's impressive range allows it to threaten a significant portion of Russia's critical infrastructure. According to Ukrainian sources, this missile system can reach 90% of Russia’s arms manufacturing capacities.
Fire Point officials have even suggested their missiles are 'partly responsible for airport closures and high gasoline prices in Russia.' These are precisely the types of targets that the Flamingo’s heavy warhead is designed to strike with devastating effect.
Oil refineries and energy infrastructure Military production facilities and weapons depots Command centers and strategic infrastructure
Engineering for Impact
At a glance, the Flamingo has a distinctive profile: a fixed straight wing and a turbofan jet engine mounted proudly above the fuselage. This design evokes a superficial resemblance to historic flying bombs like the V-1 or even Soviet-era reconnaissance drones such as the Tu-141.
However, the Flamingo uses modern materials. Its fuselage is primarily crafted from radar-transparent composite materials, like fiberglass, making it harder to detect. The engine nacelle, however, is metal to withstand intense heat.
The Powerplant
The missile appears to be powered by the Ivchenko AI-25 turbofan, a Ukrainian-made engine historically used in the Aero L-39 Albatros trainer jet. This engine is notably larger than those found in many comparable cruise missiles, indicating a design choice prioritizing power and possibly, cost-effectiveness through repurposed existing stock.
A Heavy Hitter
The Flamingo's warhead is truly exceptional. Weighing in at 1,150 kg (2,540 lb), it's claimed to be 2.5 times heavier than the warhead of an American Tomahawk Block V cruise missile. This massive payload can deliver significant destructive power.
Experts speculate that the Flamingo's warhead might be a repurposed aerial bomb. While a 1,500 kg FAB-1500 bomb might seem too large, a 925 kg (2,039 lb) Mark 84 high-explosive bomb or a BLU-109/B bunker buster is a more likely candidate, especially since the explosive filler alone would still be around 430 kg (950 lb).
With its claimed range of 3,000 km, the Flamingo theoretically can reach targets across the European part of Russia and even as far east as Novosibirsk. While it hasn't yet been publicly demonstrated to strike targets at this maximum range, the potential is clear.
Smart, Simple, Swift
Unlike sophisticated Western counterparts that rely on complex terrain-matching (TERCOM) or digital scene-matching (DSMAC) guidance systems, the Flamingo opts for a simpler, yet effective, approach. Its primary navigation relies on satellite guidance, enhanced by a jamming-resistant, controlled reception pattern antenna.
This streamlined design helps speed up production. It promises a similar speed of 900 km/h and an impressive accuracy, with a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of just 14 meters (46 ft) under ideal conditions. However, this simplicity comes with some trade-offs.
The main drawbacks compared to the Tomahawk are a longer pre-launch preparation time—20 to 40 minutes—and a takeoff weight that is almost five times greater. Ukrainian experts emphasize that while some Flamingos may be intercepted by Russian air defenses, their real value lies in combined strikes using multiple weapon types.
Affordability in Action
Perhaps one of the most remarkable aspects of the Flamingo is its cost-effectiveness. In October 2025, a Czech crowdfunding initiative called 'Gift for Putin' quickly raised approximately $520,000 to purchase a single Flamingo missile for Ukraine.
This campaign, completed in a mere 48 hours, provided a concrete glimpse into the missile's price. However, the deal was later suspended due to a corruption investigation involving Fire Point, highlighting the challenges of wartime procurement.
A Budget Powerhouse
Despite the fundraiser's fate, it cemented a cost estimate for individual Flamingo missiles—ranging from approximately $500,000 to just under $1.1 million per unit. Fire Point's spokesperson Iryna Terekh stated that the company 'purposefully aimed for low cost' to enable large-scale production and potentially massive strike operations.
To put this in perspective, an American Tomahawk cruise missile costs between $1.5 million and $2.5 million, yet offers about half the range and a significantly smaller warhead. The Flamingo's affordability is a game-changer, allowing for greater numbers to be deployed.
This low cost is achieved through clever engineering: using repurposed Soviet-era AI-25TL turbofan engines from old trainer jets, a carbon-fiber fuselage that can be manufactured in just six hours, and a relatively basic—yet effective—inertial navigation system that prioritizes cost over extreme precision.
The Production Push
Serial production of the Flamingo reportedly began in mid-2025, with an initial rate of around 30 missiles per month. Fire Point quickly ramped up, aiming for 210 units monthly by October, having successfully completed battlefield trials.
The company announced in September 2025 that production had already increased to 50 units per month, with an ambitious goal of reaching seven missiles per day by year-end. This aggressive scaling underscores the strategic importance of the Flamingo.
Indeed, the Flamingo represents Ukraine's most advanced indigenous long-range strike capability, a critical asset in its defense strategy.
Global Collaboration, Local Innovation
To further boost production, the Danish government announced in September 2025 that a Fire Point subsidiary would begin producing solid rocket fuel for the Flamingo in Denmark. This cross-border collaboration saw Denmark temporarily suspend 20 laws and regulations to facilitate the plant's opening.
Fire Point has also shown incredible resourcefulness in sourcing engines. They acquired a large number of Ivchenko AI-25 engines from various stockpiles, some even found in landfills across Ukraine. These engines, originally designed for much longer flight times, are meticulously restored just enough for the Flamingo's approximate three-and-a-half-hour flight duration, keeping costs remarkably low.
Beyond repurposing, Fire Point has established its own engine production plant, though it's unclear if this is for licensed AI-25s or a new design. Similarly, the warheads are not manufactured by Fire Point itself. The current warhead is designed to 'pierce thick concrete' and penetrate up to 10 meters underground, with cluster warheads and other specialized types currently in development.
Evolving Capabilities
Early Flamingos flew at an altitude of about 50-100 meters, making them susceptible to interception. Fire Point's chief designer, Denys Shtilerman, revealed plans to reduce the flight altitude to a mere 30 to 40 meters, bringing them in line with advanced terrain-following systems and making them much harder to detect from the ground.
Article
FP-5 Flamingo
The FP-5 "Flamingo" (Ukrainian: Фламі́нго, romanized: Flaminho [flɐˈmʲinɦɔ] ) is a Ukrainian ground-launched cruise missile developed by defence firm Fire Point. Revealed on 18 August 2025, the missile is fitted with a 1,150 kg (2,540 lb) warhead and has a range of 3,000 km (1,900 miles). The missile, similar in appearance to the Milanion Group FP-5 cruise missile, is in serial production, targeting 210 units a month.
Development
FP-5 Flamingo
Fire Point, a Ukrainian defence startup founded by a group of friends from non-military backgrounds—including construction, game design, and architecture—began development of the FP-5 "Flamingo" following the 2022 Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The missile was first publicly revealed on 17 August 2025 by Associated Press photojournalist Efrem Lukatsky during a test launch at a hidden facility in southern Ukraine. In his address on 20 August 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that serial production had begun and described it as "the most successful missile we have". The Associated Press reported that the nickname "Flamingo" originated when early production units of the missile had a pink colour due to an error at the factory, but this was denied by Fire Point's CTO. The Economist and Politico on the other hand reported that the name was chosen to highlight the role of women in senior positions at the company, with test prototypes being painted pink to support the name.
Reporters and OSINT analysts have noted the striking similarity between the FP-5 Flamingo and the FP-5 missile advertised by defence industry startup Milanion Group at IDEX 2025 (a defence industry conference and expo), with the advertised capabilities, design and even the model number being identical. Milanion Group is a company registered in the United Kingdom, though media reports state it is based in the United Arab Emirates and did business in Ukraine prior to the Russian invasion. An analyst has described Fire Point as operating under Milanion's umbrella, using Milanion's technology and connections to produce the FP-5 locally. The Economist assessed that the production process is partially conducted abroad, with Fire Point stating that over 90% of final assembly is done in Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, the weapon threatens 90% of Russia’s arms manufacturing capacities. Possible target categories:
• Oil refineries and energy infrastructure – Fire Point officials noted their drones and missiles are "partly responsible for airport closures and high gasoline prices in Russia". • Military production facilities and weapons depots – described as targets for the missile's 1,150 kg (2,540 lb) warhead. • Command centers and strategic infrastructure – identified as priority targets given the missile's capabilities.
Design
FP-5 Flamingo
The missile has a fixed straight wing and a turbofan jet engine mounted above the fuselage. This gives it a superficial resemblance to the V-1 flying bomb and the Ukrainian-built Soviet Tu-141 and Tu-143 reconnaissance drones, although the V1 used a pulsejet and the Tu-141 and Tu-143 were designed with engines mounted inside the main fuselage. The rear of the fuselage has four flight control surfaces in an X-configuration. The fuselage is primarily built from radar transparent composite materials (fiberglass), whilst the engine nacelle is built from metal in order to withstand high temperatures. The jet engine appears to be the Ivchenko AI-25 produced by Ukrainian manufacturer Motor Sich and historically used for the Aero L-39 Albatros. The engine is significantly larger than those found in comparable cruise missiles.
Flamingo's warhead is claimed to be 2.5 times the weight of the warhead of the American Tomahawk Block V cruise missile, with a stated weight of 1,150 kg (2,540 lb). According to a Dutch military expert interviewed by UkrInform, Flamingo is a classic aerial bomb converted into a cruise missile by adding a jet engine, fuselage, and wings. The warhead, shown in pictures with the nose cone removed, may be a repurposed FAB-1500 bomb, but based on the warhead's size the 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) FAB-1500 seems unlikely, with a more likely bomb being either a 925 kg (2,039 lb) Mark 84 high-explosive bomb or a same-weight BLU-109/B bunker buster. If the missile uses a conventional gravity bomb, the weight of the warhead would be 925 kg (2,039 lb) but the explosive filler would only be 430 kg (950 lb), more in line with comparable cruise missile systems. The Flamingo's claimed range is approximately double the unclassified range of the Tomahawk Block V, allowing it to hit targets anywhere in the European part of Russia and as far as Novosibirsk. The Flamingo missile has not yet been shown to strike targets at this range.
Unlike its Western counterparts, the Flamingo lacks complex visual guidance systems (TERCOM, DSMAC) but still promises a similar speed (900 km/h). The primary means of navigation is by satellite navigation using a jamming-resistant, controlled reception pattern antenna layout. Claimed accuracy is a CEP of 14 m (46 ft) at any range and in ideal conditions. The simplified design is intended to speed production. The main drawbacks compared to the Tomahawk are a longer pre-launch preparation time of 20 to 40 minutes and a takeoff weight that is almost 5 times greater. Ukrainian experts state that Russian air defense will intercept some FP-5 missiles and emphasize the value of combined strikes by multiple weapons types.
Cost and affordability
FP-5 Flamingo
The Czech crowdfunding initiative "Gift for Putin" ("Dárek pro Putina") raised approximately $520,000 (roughly 12.5 million Czech koruna) to purchase a Ukrainian-built Flamingo cruise missile in October 2025. The fundraiser, which was completed in approximately 48 hours after launching on October 22, 2025, was organized to purchase a single missile specifically priced by the manufacturer Fire Point for the campaign. The missile, designated DANA 1 in honor of the late Czech nuclear safety chief Dana Drábová, was to be transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine upon completion of payment, but in November 2025, the organizers suspended the deal over a corruption investigation involving Fire Point.
This fundraising campaign provides a concrete cost estimate for individual Flamingo missiles. Multiple independent sources have corroborated similar price points, with estimates ranging from approximately $500,000 to under €1 million ($1.09 million) per unit. Fire Point spokesperson Iryna Terekh has emphasized that the company "purposefully aimed for low cost" to enable large-scale procurement and potentially massive strike operations.
By comparison, the American Tomahawk cruise missile costs between $1.5 million and $2.5 million per unit depending on the variant, despite having approximately half the range and a significantly smaller warhead than the Flamingo. The Flamingo's affordability is achieved through simplified design choices, including the use of repurposed Soviet-era AI-25TL turbofan engines from Aero L-39 Albatros jet trainers, a carbon-fiber fuselage that can reportedly be manufactured in six hours, and basic inertial navigation systems that trade some precision for reduced cost.
Production
FP-5 Flamingo
Serial production of Flamingo was claimed to have begun in mid-2025, initially at a rate of approximately 30 missiles per month. According to Politico's interview with Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh, the missile has successfully completed battlefield trials and entered serial production with a target capacity of 210 units monthly by October. Fire Point announced in September 2025 that it had increased production of its Flamingo cruise missile from 30 units per month in August to 50 units per month, with plans to reach seven missiles per day by the end of the year. The company's service manager Iryna Terekh confirmed that the Flamingo had entered serial production, with scaling up being the primary focus for meeting expanded production targets.
The weapon system represents Ukraine's most advanced long-range strike capability.
In September 2025, the Danish government announced that a subsidiary of Fire Point will start production of solid rocket fuel for the Flamingo in Denmark from 1 December 2025. Denmark temporarily suspended 20 laws and regulations to open the plant.
Fire Point had purchased a large number of Ivchenko AI-25 from various stockpiles. These engines had a remaining flight time of some 10 hours. Given the engines will not be used in jet aircraft, Fire Point restores them not to full usage but enough for a Flamingo missile's flight time of three and a half hours. Previous media reports said that the engines had been made by Motor Sich. However, Fire Point claimed that they had found "thousands of such engines" at various landfills in Ukraine. These engines, in order to keep costs down, have had the titanium parts replaced by "cheaper and easier-to-produce alternatives" to make them flightworthy. Engines can also be taken from the some six thousand of these engines which were manufactured and still in use in aircraft like the L-39 Albatross and Hongdu JL-8 jet trainers across "post-Soviet countries, Asia, and Africa". Fire Point has also established its own plant to produce engines for the missiles, whether this is the Ivchenko AI-25 under licence or not is unclear.
The warhead is also something that Fire Point does not manufacture. The current warhead is said to “pierce thick concrete” and can go some 10 m (33 ft) underground. There is a cluster warhead in the works plus “many other types (of warhead)” in development. As of "early September" the rate of production was two missiles a day with work on an automated process that aims to "reach 200 per month by the end of this year".
As of 6 October 2025, according to The Economist, Ukraine is already using the Flamingo missile on targets in Russia. Currently Fire Point builds 2-3 missiles a day, the price per missile is apparently $500,000 US. The missile flight altitude is 50 m (160 ft).
In early December 2025, during an interview on X, formerly Twitter, Denys Shtilerman (co-owner and chief designer of Fire Point) claimed that a Flamingo missile was intercepted on 9 October at a height of 114 meters. The aim was to reduce it to an "altitude of 30 to 40 meters above the ground", so "no one will see it from the ground". This would bring it in line with "TERCOM system, which has been in operation since the late 1980s". However Ukraine doesn't have enough maps of the Russian Federation to allow the missile to fly so low.
As of 15 March 2026, Fire Point claimed to manufacture three Flamingos per day. New engines were close to completion to replace the current AI-25 engines used. According to Denys Shtilerman, the company’s chief designer and co-founder: “All the engines (AI-25) we use now were previously used in civil aviation. Their peak efficiency is roughly between 6,000 and 10,000 meters, so they are not very effective at sea level,”. The new engines will be a dual circuit turbojet engine with a low bypass ratio, unlike most cruise missile engine. The company claims that performance will only be exceeded by the Tomahawk missile. The new engines are planned to enter production next year with a Ukrainian manufacturer.
Operational history
FP-5 Flamingo
On 30 August 2025, Ukrainian sources reported that Flamingo missiles were used to target a Federal Security Service outpost in Crimea, in what was described as their first combat use. According to these reports, at least three missiles struck the facility, causing structural damage and reportedly damaging six hovercraft while killing one Russian serviceman. Follow-up analysis of satellite imagery showed that one missile directly hit a barracks building, another landed wide of the hovercraft storage area, and a third exploded near some objects east of the facility.
On 23 September 2025, four Flamingo missiles struck a factory belonging to the Skif-M company, manufacturing components for the production of the Su-34, Su-35, and Su-57. Initially it was reported by Russia that only one missile had hit, but satellite imagery in January showed that all missiles struck the factory. However, one missile appeared to have penetrated the roof and then penetrated a wall, exploding outside the factory. The blast crater was measured as being approximately some 25 metres wide.
On 9 October 2025, Russia and the Ukrainian president confirmed the first use of Flamingo missile, used along with the Neptune missile, against targets in Russia.
On 10 October 2025, Russia claimed its first shootdown of two Flamingo missiles; one by a Buk missile launcher. Pictures were supplied, the missile was claimed to have been travelling at 100 m (330 ft) altitude and a speed of "roughly 600 kilometers per hour".
On 23 December 2025, President Zelenskyy referred to undated use of the Flamingo missile: "The Flamingo percentage has now improved. There was a recent use, it was that they used five missiles: one destroyed the target, four were shot down by Russian air defense".
On 8 February 2026, the Ukrainian General Staff claimed to have struck the Russian test range at Kapustin Yar using FP-5 Flamingo missiles.
On 12 February 2026, a Main Missile and Artillery Directorate ammunition depot, near Kotluban, Volgograd Oblast, was attacked by Flamingo missiles resulting in a “series of powerful explosions” and precautionary evacuations of locals according to Governor of Volgograd Oblast, Andrey Bocharov.
On 15 February 2026, President Zelenskyy said that the production of Flamingo missiles had been affected due to the “destruction of a production line” by a Russian missile strike. Due to this Ukraine doesn’t have “many” Flamingo missiles. Production had since resumed.
On 20 February 2026, Ukraine's General Staff stated a strike of Flamingo missiles targeted the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, which is 1,400km (870 miles) from Ukraine, and is used to produce Iskander ballistic missiles. Udmurt regional head Alexander Brechalov said one of the republic's facilities was attacked by drones, and unofficial reports specified the site as the Votkinsk Plant.
On 28 March 2026, Flamingo missiles destroyed the JSC Promsintez explosives plant in Chapaevsk, Samara Oblast.