Ukraine strikes Russian military plant supplying drone components, says Zelenskyy
Ukrainian forces used FP-5 Flamingo missiles to strike a military plant in Cheboksary, Russia, which produces components for drones and missiles.
Striking the VNIIR-Progress plant disrupts essential supply lines for Russian drone and missile capabilities, undermining military operations while showcasing Ukraine’s advanced strike capabilities over 1,000 km away.
“We continue to apply Ukrainian long-range sanctions against Russian military facilities and the oil industry,” stated President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announcing the successful strike on Cheboksary.
Kyiv hit Russian military plant using Ukrainian-made Flamingo missile, Zelenskyy says
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Kyiv used Ukrainian-made Flamingo missiles to strike a Russian military facility which supplies Moscow forces with components for drones and missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Wednesday.
“We continue to apply Ukrainian long-range sanctions against Russian military facilities and the oil industry,” Zelenskyy said on X as he shared the video purporting to show a missile flying toward its target and plumes of smoke rising over Russian facilities.
“In particular, last night Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingos struck a military plant in Cheboksary that supplies the occupier’s army with components for drones and missiles.”
Cheboksary is the main city in Russia’s central Chuvashia region, located around 1,000 kilometres away from the Ukrainian border.
The regional governor, Oleg Nikolayev, confirmed the city had been hit.
“Early this morning, Cheboksary came under rocket attack. We are working to determine the number of casualties and the extent of damage to infrastructure,” Nikolayev said on Telegram without providing more details.
Local media outlets reported that the Ukrainian strike hit the VNIIR-Progress plant that produces antennas for drones. Ukraine’s General Staff also confirmed this target.
Sanctioned by Ukraine, the US and the European Union the VNIIR-Progress plant produces satellite navigation receivers and Kometa antennas used in Shahed-type attack drones, Kalibr cruise missiles, Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and guided aerial bombs.
The attack on Cheboksary was part of a broader Ukrainian attack that also struck the Kuibyshev oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, more than 900 km from the front line, as well as two oil infrastructure facilities in Russia’s Vladimir region, 700 km away.
The Kuibyshev oil refinery processes around 3.7 million tonnes of oil annually and supplies fuel products used by Russia’s military-industrial sector and armed forces.
Flamingo missile made in Ukraine
Ukraine has developed its own missile called Flamingo but its use remains relatively rare.
First shown to the world in August 2025, the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile is reported to have a strike range of up to 3,000 km and a warhead weight of up to 1,100 kg.
Flamingo’s parent company Fire Point said earlier in June that it has conducted a test flight of a ballistic missile that will serve as the foundation of a project to create a missile air defence system.
The FP7.X is the interceptor variant of Fire Point’s FP7 ballistic missile, which is currently in development and which the company says will also be able to attack ground targets.
The missile itself is only one component of an air defence system. Analysts say its most complex parts are the ground radar network and the targeting system in the missile.
But Fire Point management said the project’s goal is to create a unified pan-European secure air and missile defence system.
Fire Point’s co-owner Denys Shtilierman said few week ago that the company was in talks with unnamed European companies to launch a new air defence system capable of downing supersonic ballistic missiles by the end of next year, creating a low-cost alternative to the US-made Patriot.