The FP-5 “Flamingo” missile has shown the United States that Ukraine has an “ace up its sleeve” and can develop its own weapon capable of reaching targets in Russia at a distance of 3,000 km, the system’s designer said. Ukraine’s Armed Forces have a chance to field a system that can bypass Russian electronic warfare, while other Fire Point products have already hit targets - including a hangar housing an A-50 airborne early warning aircraft.
In fact, “Flamingo” is not a missile but a drone, co-owner and chief designer of Fire Point Denis Shtilerman told NV. Shtilerman said the company deliberately showed its production line and the director’s face to build trust in the new development. According to him, the weapon costs $600,000, less than comparable systems. The FP-5 flies at an altitude of 40 meters, which helps it evade Russian EW assets. At the same time, he said it is unlikely to bypass air defenses around Moscow and St. Petersburg, where Russia has built layered defenses for greater protection.
Asked whether the missile exists and whether it has already been used on Russian territory, Shtilerman said combat use had taken place but he “can’t provide more comments.” He added that “in principle, theoretically,” the weapon can reach key Russian centers. He then explained what enables “Flamingo” to get past air defenses.
“If you fly low, below 40 meters, no radar will detect you 100%, and you can calmly pass into any Russian city, except Moscow and St. Petersburg, apparently because they have a strong air-defense system. It’s layered — three rings of air defense in Moscow — they use microphones on cell towers and other solutions,” he said on air.
The company’s first drones drew interest from the command of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO). As Shtilerman said, major strikes followed, and each time the results were confirmed by objective control systems.
“In 2024, there were high-profile hits like Tikhoretsk, Toropets, a bunch of other factories; an A-50 was destroyed in a hangar in Taganrog. And the following year, 2025, we were ordered even more drones,” he told the studio.
The company then decided to build a cruise missile, using boosters left in Ukrainian military stockpiles and Ukrainian-made engines. However, the Fire Point representative noted that “Flamingo” is designated specifically as a subsonic drone capable of flying 3,000 km and carrying 150 kg of explosives. The weapon could be shot down by a Pantsir system if its trajectory passes directly over it. But if a “certain altitude band” is chosen and the system is one to two kilometers off the flight path, “nothing will happen.” He cited similarly positive results in overcoming EW and detecting spoofing.
The estimated $600,000 price mentioned in the interview depends on the engine, Shtilerman said. The drone-missile has a modular design — a tube with wings — to which any engine of the required power can be attached. For now, that engine is Ukrainian-made, he noted: the AI-25TL, which consumes less fuel and is cheaper. Another feature is the use of open-source control algorithms, which do not require permission from other governments.
On October 13, military expert and aviator Konstantin Krivolav explained how the “Flamingo” differs from the “Neptune. According to him, “Neptune” is a government project under strict oversight and reporting, which means time is spent on approvals and reprocessing. “Flamingo” is a commercial project that avoided red tape, so the weapon was created in roughly two years, not 10–15.
On October 10, Russian media published debris of an alleged “Flamingo” missile and even showed factory markings on the item, which likely targeted a Russian military site.
