"In january 2026, Ukrainian forces conducted a series of successful attacks on hangar-like structures, where preparations for launching medium-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles take place, at the Kapustin Yar training ground in Astrakhan province, Russia", Ukraine's General Staff announced on february 5.

The agency stated that these attacks were carried out using long-range weapons manufactured by Ukraine, including Flamingo cruise missiles.

"According to available information, some buildings at the training ground sustained varying degrees of damage. One hangar was severely damaged, and some personnel at the facility were evacuated", Ukraine's General Staff reported, without providing evidence.

Denys Shtilierman, co-owner of Fire Point, the company that produces Flamingo missiles, posted a video on the same day showing four projectiles launching into the sky, though the time and location were unclear. "Some of them targeted the Kapustin Yar training ground", he stated.

Satellite images published by Ukrainian military news site Defense Express showed a boiler facility, responsible for providing heat and hot water, at area 105 in Kapustin Yar had been attacked. However, the extent of the damage was assessed as "too minor compared to the destructive power of a Flamingo missile".

In another satellite image, area 28 at the Russian training ground was also a target. "The appearance of what looks like a crater suggests this area was hit by a heavy warhead, consistent with the specifications of a Flamingo missile", Defense Express noted.

However, the CyberBoroshno account, which specializes in open-source intelligence analysis on X, suggested that neither area 28 nor 105 at Kapustin Yar training ground were hit by Flamingo missiles. "Only traces of damage caused by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were found", the account stated.

Russia's Ministry of Defense has not commented on the information.

Damage at area 105 (left) and area 28 in satellite images. Photo: Defense Express

The Kapustin Yar training ground, located in Astrakhan province, southern Russia, is a facility specializing in missile testing and live-fire drills. The training ground is also believed to be a site Russia uses to launch Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missiles towards Ukrainian territory.

The Flamingo cruise missile is advertised to have a 1,150 kg warhead and a range of 3,000 km, exceeding all Western weapons supplied to Ukraine.

Ukraine's General Staff has previously claimed several attacks on Russian territory using this weapon. Manufacturer Fire Point has received significant funding from Europe and is attempting to start missile fuel production at a factory in Denmark.

Despite these claims, evidence of successful Flamingo missile strikes remains relatively scarce, leading to suspicion about Fire Point's assertions.

Thorkill, an X account monitoring the conflict, noted last month that Ukrainian forces had only deployed Flamingo missiles four times to strike targets in Russia since the weapon's debut in may 2025. "No Flamingo missiles have been involved in combat in the last three months. This project seems like a marketing gimmick", Thorkill commented.

Pham Giang (According to Reuters, Ukrainska Pravda, Defense Express)