Ukraine launches 3,000 km cruise missile, capable of reaching Siberia

Russian military experts are concerned about Ukraine's new Flamingo cruise missile, with a range of up to 3,000 km, the weapon can now reach Moscow and Siberia.

On August 17, AP photojournalist Efrem Lukatsky first revealed the mysterious Flamingo cruise missile on Facebook, saying it was mass-produced by Fire Point. This weapon caused a stir because of its range of up to 3,000 km and warhead weighing more than 1 ton. Just one day later, The War Zone continued to publish a video recording the test launch, shocking the international military community.

Just one day later, Ukrainska Pravda published two videos showing the Flamingo being launched from a rail platform mounted on a two-axle tractor. In another clip, the missile appears to have been used in an actual attack on Russian territory. These images show that Ukraine has not stopped at the testing stage but has put the Flamingo into real combat.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, the Flamingo has a warhead weighing up to 1,150 kg - much larger than the Storm Shadow, SCALP-EG or ATACMS missiles that Ukraine has received aid. Such a warhead is enough to destroy large-scale infrastructure, airports, logistics warehouses or power plants. If deployed en masse, the Flamingo's destructive power would far exceed the UAV attacks that Ukraine often carries out.

Notably, the Flamingo looks very similar to the FP-5, a cruise missile model that Milanion once displayed. The FP-5 is advertised with a range of 3,000 km, a maximum speed of 950 km/h, a wingspan of 6 meters, and a maximum weight of 6 tons. The image of the FP-5 on the Milanion website also shows it being launched from a two-axle trailer, almost identical to the Flamingo.

Milanion says the FP-5 uses an inertial navigation system combined with multi-source satellite positioning, which is resistant to electronic jamming. Many experts speculate that the Flamingo also possesses similar technology, which increases its ability to survive Russian electronic warfare. However, so far, the Ukrainian government has not given any official confirmation on the technical details.

The Flamingo’s birth reminded observers of the German V-1 flying bomb or the American MGM-13 Mace missile during the Cold War. Like the Flamingo, they were both subsonic cruise missiles, launched from towed platforms, and designed to strike deep into enemy territory. However, the Flamingo was far superior in range and warhead weight.

If the 3,000 km figure is correct, the Flamingo would allow Ukraine to reach every major target in Russia, from Moscow and St. Petersburg to strategic bases in Siberia. This is a capability that Kiev could only dream of before. Before the Flamingo, the longest-range weapons owned by Ukraine were only 300 km, such as the Hrim-2 or the upgraded Neptune.

The Flamingo’s range is on par with Russia’s Kalibr cruise missiles, which are typically launched from warships and submarines. Russia’s Iskander system, meanwhile, can only fire 9M728 cruise missiles with a range of less than 500 km. If the Flamingo does indeed enter mass production, the balance of long-range strikes between the two sides could change significantly.

What particularly worries Russia is that the Flamingo could be built cheaply, allowing for mass production. This would further strain Ukraine’s already struggling air defenses against waves of cheap UAVs. The combination of large numbers of drones and missiles could create a devastating effect, forcing Moscow’s air defenses to overwork.

Unlike Storm Shadow, SCALP-EG or ATACMS - which are bound by conditions of aid from the West, Flamingo is a domestic product. This allows Ukraine to freely choose its targets, including strategic air bases, logistics warehouses, or energy infrastructure on Russian territory, without worrying about political restrictions from its allies.

The fact that the Flamingo was revealed at the same time as the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska added to the deterrent message. It also highlighted Ukraine’s initiative in developing new weapons, despite diplomatic pressure. Many analysts even said the event was deliberately announced to send a signal to the Kremlin.

While the Flamingo’s capabilities remain to be tested, its emergence demonstrates the determination and creativity of Ukraine’s defense industry. If deployed on a large scale, the missile could become a new “trump card,” allowing Kiev to directly threaten power centers deep inside Russia, something the Kremlin has not faced since the beginning of the conflict.

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