Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged to persist with Kyiv’s strikes deep within Russian territory, both as a response to attacks on Ukraine and as a means to compel the Kremlin toward direct negotiations.
Kyiv deployed Ukrainian-produced Flamingo missiles targeting a Russian military site that provides Moscow’s forces with components for drones and missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Wednesday.
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“The application of Ukrainian long-range sanctions against Russian military targets and the oil sector continues,” Zelenskyy stated on X, sharing footage that seemingly depicts a missile heading toward its objective and smoke plumes rising above Russian facilities.
“Specifically, last night Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo missiles struck a military plant in Cheboksary that supplies the occupier’s army with components for drones and missiles.”
Cheboksary is the primary city in Russia’s central Chuvashia region, situated about 1,000 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.
Oleg Nikolayev, the regional governor, confirmed that the city was targeted.
“Early today, Cheboksary was subjected to a rocket strike. Efforts are underway to establish casualty figures and assess the damage to infrastructure,” Nikolayev reported on Telegram, without elaborating further.
Local media indicated that the Ukrainian strike hit the VNIIR-Progress facility, which manufactures antennas for drones. This target was also confirmed by Ukraine’s General Staff.
VNIIR-Progress, sanctioned by Ukraine, the US, and the European Union, produces satellite navigation receivers and Kometa antennas utilized in Shahed-type attack drones, Kalibr cruise missiles, Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and guided aerial bombs.
The strike on Cheboksary formed part of a larger Ukrainian offensive that also targeted the Kuibyshev oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, over 900 km from the frontline, alongside two oil infrastructure sites in Russia’s Vladimir region, 700 km away.
The Kuibyshev refinery processes roughly 3.7 million tonnes of oil annually, delivering fuel products used by Russia’s military-industrial complex and armed forces.
Flamingo missile produced in Ukraine
Ukraine has developed its own missile system named Flamingo, though its deployment remains relatively limited.
Revealed internationally for the first time in August 2025, the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile reportedly has a strike range reaching up to 3,000 km and a warhead weighing up to 1,100 kg.
In early June, Flamingo’s manufacturer Fire Point announced a test flight for a ballistic missile intended to form the basis of a project aimed at establishing a missile air defence system.
The FP7.X is the interceptor model derived from Fire Point’s FP7 ballistic missile, currently under development, which is also expected to possess ground-attack capabilities.
The missile is just one element of an air defence system. Analysts point out that its most sophisticated components are the ground radar array and the missile’s targeting mechanism.
However, Fire Point’s leadership stated that the project aims to build a unified, secure pan-European air and missile defence system.
Denys Shtilierman, Fire Point’s co-owner, remarked recently that the company is engaged in discussions with unnamed European firms regarding the launch of a novel air defence system, capable of intercepting supersonic ballistic missiles by the end of the next year, offering a cost-effective alternative to the US-made Patriot system.