Ukraine is rapidly expanding its domestic weapons production as the war with Russia continues, with new long-range missiles now being built in highly secretive facilities across the country.
In a covert factory near Kyiv, journalists were taken blindfolded to an undisclosed location where Ukraine’s latest cruise missile, known as Flamingo, is being assembled. Phones were switched off, filming was tightly restricted, and workers’ faces were kept hidden to protect the site from Russian intelligence and air strikes.
The Flamingo missile is a domestically developed, long-range cruise missile capable of striking targets up to 3,000 kilometres away, carrying a warhead weighing more than a tonne. Designed for deep strikes inside Russian territory, the weapon represents a major step forward for Ukraine’s independent military capabilities.
Ukrainian officials say secrecy and dispersion are vital. Two factories belonging to Fire Point, the company producing the missile, have already been hit by Russian attacks. Despite this, production has continued and expanded.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Ukraine now manufactures more than half of the weapons used on the front line. Almost all of its long-range strike systems are now produced domestically, marking a sharp shift from the early days of the war when Ukraine relied heavily on Soviet-era stockpiles and Western military aid.
Fire Point’s chief technical officer, Iryna Terekh, says the company did not exist before Russia’s full-scale invasion. Today, it produces around 200 drones per day and plays a central role in Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign. The company’s FP-series drones have reportedly carried out around 60% of Ukraine’s deep strikes, targeting oil refineries, weapons factories, and ammunition depots inside Russia.
Ukraine’s military leadership claims these attacks have already cost the Russian economy more than $21 billion this year. While Russia continues to launch large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, including against civilian infrastructure, Kyiv sees deep strikes as essential to weakening Russia’s war economy and slowing advances along the front line.
The Flamingo missile is notable because Western nations have been reluctant to supply similar long-range weapons. With uncertain future support from the United States, Ukrainian manufacturers are deliberately sourcing components domestically and avoiding reliance on foreign suppliers, including the US and China.
“We don’t want anyone to be able to influence the weapons we build,” Ms Terekh said, pointing to concerns that political shifts abroad could disrupt access to critical components.
Although Ukrainian officials admit there is no single “wonder weapon” that will decide the war, they stress that innovation, speed, and self-reliance are now central to Ukraine’s defence strategy.
As peace talks continue and Western support remains uncertain, Ukraine’s expanding domestic arms industry is increasingly seen in Kyiv as the country’s strongest guarantee of long-term security.