The Economist: Ukrainian Flamingo Cruise Missile Costs Less Than One Million Euros

The deadly new Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missile, with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers, costs less than €1 million.

The Economist reported on this.

Developed by the Ukrainian company Fire Point, the missile began as a sketch on a napkin at the end of 2024 and went into production just nine months later – an extremely short timeframe for a product that typically takes years to develop.

Another impressive fact is the missile’s cost, which journalists estimated at ‘up to one million euros.’ This is not much more than the slower long-range drones like the Shahed or Liutyi, which cost over €100,000.

For this price, the developer offers a high-speed cruise missile with a 1,150-kilogram warhead and a range of up to 3,000 kilometers – reaching most targets in the European part of Russia.

Flamingo is difficult to compare with other cruise missiles due to its unique characteristics and design differences. However, the well-known American Tomahawks (with half the range and smaller warheads) cost between €1.5 and €4 million, depending on the modification and sale conditions.

Design of the Flamingo Missile

Company representatives explained that the engineers had been inspired by the world’s first cruise missile, V-1, and the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-141 Strizh drone, which influenced the placement of the engine above the fuselage.

The missile’s body is made of fiberglass, which has lower radar contrast compared to metal, thus making the missile less visible to enemy radars.

The publication suggests that the powerplant chosen is the Soviet turbofan engine AI-25, which was produced in large quantities for the Aero L-39 Albatros training aircraft in Ukraine.

Likely due to large stocks of engines that the Ukrainian industry knows how to service, the manufacturers at Fire Point plan to ensure mass production, which has already been announced at a rate of one missile per day with intentions to scale up to seven units.

Speaking about the production of the cruise missile, the developers stated that “over 90% of the final assembly takes place at secret facilities scattered across Ukraine.”

On August 20th, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the successful tests of the domestic Flamingo cruise missile had already taken place. According to him, mass production is expected to begin in January–February. The head of state also noted that “financing this program needs to be carefully considered.”