The new £400m ‘invisible’ missile that could give Ukraine crucial edge over Putin’s Russia

A test of the Flamingo (Image: AP)

Ukraine’s burgeoning defence industry has unveiled what it hopes can be a game-changer in its arsenal against Vladimir Putin’s forces: the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile, backed by a £400 million production surge which promises to render Russian air defences obsolete. Developed by Kyiv-based startup Fire Point, the six-tonne behemoth boasts a 1,860 mile (3,000km) range and a 2235lb (1,150kg) warhead, capable of devastating strikes on Moscow’s oil refineries, command posts, and logistics hubs deep behind enemy lines.

Priced at around £390,000 per unit – a fraction of Western equivalents like the Tomahawk – the Flamingo’s low cost enables mass production, with Fire Point targeting 210 missiles monthly by early 2026. The huge million investment, drawn from Ukrainian state contracts and international donors including the EU’s £5 billion drone fund, positions the weapon as a cornerstone of Kyiv’s asymmetric warfare strategy.

A prototype of the Flamingo at the Fire Point factory (Image: AP)

The missile’s “invisible” prowess stems from advanced terrain-following navigation, allowing it to skim at 30-40 metres altitude, evading ground-based radars.

In a recent panel discussion hosted by Fire Point, co-owner Denys Shtilerman explained: “When we have maps with accurate elevations, we will be able to avoid terrain features. The only chance to see it will be if there’s an interceptor in the air with a new high-quality radar.”

The 74-second clip, shared on X by adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister Anton Gerashchenko, highlighted the weapon’s stealth edge.

Mr Gerashchenko commented: “Once Ukraine has terrain maps of Russia, the Flamingo missile will fly at an altitude of 30-40 metres, and no one will be able to see it from the ground.”

Fire Point, founded in 2022 by non-military innovators from gaming and architecture, has transformed from a film-casting agency into a £800 million powerhouse, producing 70% of Ukraine’s televised deep strikes, including the November 14 Novorossiysk refinery hit.

Chief Technical Officer Iryna Terekh, 33, credits scavenged Soviet-era jet engines – refurbished from landfills – for slashing costs. She told the Wall Street Journal: “We purposefully aimed for low cost to enable large-scale procuremen."

Combat tests underscore the Flamingo’s impact: four verified strikes since August, including an FSB outpost in occupied Crimea. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky dubbed it “the most successful missile we have,” vowing serial output by February. Analysts at the Centre for European Policy Analysis warn it could disrupt 90% of Russia’s arms production, forcing Putin to divert interceptors skyward.

With NATO pledges like Denmark’s £170 million model, Kyiv eyes exporting these “affordable mass” weapons post-war, reshaping European security. For now, they offer a vital counter to Moscow’s attrition tactics, potentially tipping the balance in this grinding conflict.