Ukraine has reportedly used its newly developed Flamingo cruise missile in combat for the first time, targeting Russian patrol boats and an FSB outpost near Armiansk in occupied Crimea. While unverified, social media footage and Ukrainian military sources suggest the powerful, domestically produced missile, with a range of 3,000 km and a one-ton warhead, was used in the strike. Unlike Western-supplied weapons, Flamingo missiles are free from restrictions on hitting Russian territory. The cruise missile is in limited production, but Ukraine plans to significantly ramp up output by winter. Newsweek writes:
Ukraine has used a newly developed cruise missile dubbed Flamingo for the first time, according to social media reports from the country.
Newsweek could not independently verify the footage posted, and has reached out to the Ukrainian military for comment. […]
Ukraine unveiled the Flamingo last month, touting the weapon as Kyiv’s “most successful missile” and a “very powerful” tool in the country’s arsenal. The cruise missile is thought to have a range of roughly 3,000 kilometers, or 1,860 miles. […]
Footage circulating on social media, picked up by Ukrainian media, purports to show the launch of what appears to be three Flamingo missiles at sunrise on an unspecified date. The location was not given. […]
Newly released footage of Ukrainian forces launching a trio of FP-5 Flamingo long-range cruise missiles. pic.twitter.com/3Nr1IHpdqY
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 31, 2025
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How the Flamingo Got Its Name
The Flamingo missile’s unusual name and original bright pink tip began as an internal joke highlighting the often-overlooked role of women in the male-dominated arms industry, according to Politico. Though the color was later changed for camouflage, the woman leading its production remains central to the project.
