In January 2026, the Ukrainian Defense Forces launched a series of precision strikes at the “Kapustin Yar” test site in the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation, from where “Oreshnik” ballistic missiles are launched.
This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The hangars where the Russians are preparing the “Oreshnik” for launch were attacked. Ukrainian troops were hit, in particular, with “Flamingo” missiles. According to preliminary data, several buildings were damaged, one hangar was seriously destroyed. Some of the military personnel were evacuated from the training ground.
The successful test of “Flamingo” was first reported by President Zelensky in August 2025. The missile is capable of traveling 3 000 kilometers and landing 14 meters from the target. The FP-5 is one of the largest such missiles in the world, capable of delivering up to 1 150 kg of cargo.
The existence of the “Flamingo” missile first became known on August 17, when Ukrainian photojournalist Yefrem Lukatsky, who works with the Associated Press, shared a photo of it. He noted that he had photographed it at the workshop of one of the leading defense companies in Ukraine “Fire Point” on August 14.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed on August 18 that Ukraine had launched production of the “Flamingo” long-range missile. President Volodymyr Zelensky later said that mass production should begin in Ukraine in late 2025 and early 2026.
- “Kapustin Yar” is a Russian military missile test site in the northwestern part of the Astrakhan region, almost on the border with Kazakhstan. The test site tests a large number of different short- and medium-range missiles, cruise missiles, air defense complexes and systems.
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