Ukrainian news outlet Dzerkalo Tyzhnia released two videos on 18/8 showing the launch of the domestically produced Flamingo cruise missile. One video depicted a test launch, while the other allegedly showed an attack on Russian territory.

Both videos show the missile being fired from a trailer-mounted launcher, rapidly gaining altitude before transitioning to level flight and separating its booster stage. Neither video shows the missile's mid-flight trajectory or impact.

"The 1,150 kg warhead and range of over 3,000 km allow it to hit almost any target previously out of reach for Ukrainian weapons, including long-range UAVs," Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reported, adding that the Flamingo also boasts anti-jamming capabilities and rapid deployment. Ukrainian media reports that manufacturer Fire Point conducted successful tests several months ago and has begun mass production. "The missile has seen combat for some time, proving highly effective and hitting targets within Russian territory. Fire Point is currently scaling up production," Dzerkalo Tyzhnia stated.

Information about the Flamingo first surfaced in an earlier post by Efrem Lukatsky, a Ukrainian photographer for the Associated Press (AP), who reported the missile's 3,000 km range and posted a photo of it inside a Fire Point factory at an undisclosed location. The image shows a gray missile with mid-mounted main wings, X-shaped tail fins, and a dorsally mounted engine positioned towards the rear.

Ukrainian officials have not released detailed specifications for the Flamingo. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on 18/8 that information would be released "at the appropriate time". The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on reports of the attacks.

Flamingo missile at a Fire Point factory on 14/8. Photo: *AP*

Observers note the missile's striking resemblance to the FP-5 cruise missile, unveiled by UAE-based Milanion at a defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi last February. The FP-5 has a 1-ton warhead, a maximum range of 3,000 km, a launch weight of 6 tons, a 6 m wingspan, a top speed of 900 km/h, and uses an inertial navigation system combined with satellite positioning and anti-jamming capabilities. UAE-released concept art shows the FP-5 using a similar launcher vehicle to the Flamingo.

Some experts have compared the missile to the German V-1 flying bomb and the American MGM-13 Mace cruise missile. It also shares design similarities with the Tu-141 and Tu-143, Soviet-era reconnaissance UAVs that Ukraine has converted into long-range suicide weapons.

"A cruise missile with a 3,000 km range could threaten targets across central Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. It could even reach parts of Siberia," observed Thomas Newdick and Joseph Trevithick, editors at the American military website War Zone.

Pham Giang (*War Zone, AP, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia*)