An unprecedented event occurred when volunteers from the BARS-Kursk Brigade's mobile fire team destroyed a long-range Flamingo cruise missile with a machine gun, Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein announced on 23/8. Khinshtein stated that the BARS-Kursk Brigade, primarily composed of residents from the border province of Kursk, received an alert about a Ukrainian attack at 3h. Minutes later, a mobile air defense team detected a "giant missile" flying at 500 km/h at an altitude below 50 m. The team, finding the missile within infantry machine gun range, opened fire, causing the target to crash into a patch of forest.

Infrared sensor video showed two low-flying objects and multiple bursts of machine gun fire illuminating the night sky. A large explosion erupted from the ground, apparently from the Flamingo missile detonating. A Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) subsequently recorded the missile's crash site, before Russian personnel approached the area and recovered numerous fragments.

The Kursk Governor stated that Russian forces recovered data programmed into the missile by Ukrainian forces, identifying the target as a "strategic facility" in Tula province, though specifics were not disclosed. "The volunteers not only shot down the missile but also averted disaster and saved lives", he said, pledging to propose awards for the air defense unit. The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the information.

Specifications of the Flamingo missile. Graphics: WSJ

Ukrainian manufacturer Fire Point stated that the Flamingo missile achieves a range of 3,000 km, a maximum speed of 900 km/h, carries a 1,150 kg warhead, and uses an inertial guidance system combined with satellite navigation with anti-jamming capabilities. These specifications surpass many weapons in Ukraine's arsenal, including both domestically produced and Western-supplied armaments.

Fire Point claims the Flamingo's greatest advantage is its simple and inexpensive design, costing approximately half a million USD per missile. The company previously stated a production target of seven Flamingo missiles daily by October, equivalent to over 2,500 units per year. However, in an interview published on 3/8, Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh admitted that the company is facing "bottlenecks" and that the figure of over 2,500 units per year represents the maximum capacity of their production line, not a planned output increase.

Flamingo missile at Fire Point's factory in 8/2025. Photo: AP

The Flamingo missile can only attack large targets with pre-determined coordinates and typically must fly low, following rivers such as the Don and Voronezh to reach its objectives. Russia has deployed numerous air defense crews along these rivers to intercept them, resulting in the majority of Flamingo missiles being shot down.

AMK Mapping, an X account specializing in open-source intelligence on the war in Ukraine, reported on 8/8 that Ukraine had launched a total of 60 Flamingo missiles since 1/7. However, only two reached their targets, with Russian forces shooting down the remainder.

Pham Giang (According to RT, War Zone)