First combat use of Flamingo missile takes place back in May this year – General Staff

Major Dmytro Lykhoviy, spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated this during an “open dialogue” with journalists organized by the leadership of the defence company FirePoint, Ukrinform reports.

“The combat use of the Flamingo began in May 2025. As of this autumn, it continues to be used against enemy targets,” the spokesperson for the General Staff said.

According to him, this is currently an experimental weapon. Work to improve it continues, though it is complicated by the high cost of each unit and by the manufacturer’s capabilities.

“In the case of the FP-1 drone [a jet-powered drone developed and produced by FirePoint], we note significant effectiveness achieved through years of mass use and refinement. By contrast, according to the assessments of General Staff specialists, the FP-5 missile-drone still requires this process. At this stage, we describe it as an experimental weapon with ambitious stated technical specifications and considerable development potential. Its improvement is complicated by the high cost of each unit and by the developer’s capabilities,” Dmytro Lykhoviy clarified.

He also noted that while the FP-1 drone underwent substantial modernization over two years, achieving similar progress with the FP-5 is more difficult because “the number of launches is of a different scale.”

At the same time, according to FirePoint’s Chief Technology Officer, Iryna Terekh, missile production is being scaled up in accordance with the manufacturer’s initial plan. The company is currently collaborating with the military to refine its tactics and expand the scale of its use.

“We are moving forward very confidently, and I am pleased that we are staying within the plans announced earlier,” Iryna Terekh said.

As reported by Ukrinform, Ukraine’s Defence Forces struck important Russian targets overnight using Ukrainian-made weapons Flamingo, Bars, and Liutyi.

Photo: defence-ua