Ukraine is rapidly expanding its domestic arms production, focusing on secret factories manufacturing long-range Flamingo cruise missiles to achieve greater self-reliance as international support wavers. This surge in homegrown weaponry aims to sustain Ukraine’s defense efforts amid ongoing Russian aggression and shifting geopolitical dynamics.
Deep inside a hidden location, accessible only after being blindfolded and with phones turned off, Ukrainian workers assemble the Flamingo missile—a new cruise weapon designed for strikes up to 3,000 kilometers into Russian territory. Produced by the startup Fire Point, which didn’t exist before Russia’s full-scale invasion, the missile represents a critical shift toward indigenous capabilities. The black-painted Flamingo, humorously described as consuming ‘Russian oil,’ is built in dispersed facilities to evade Russian attacks, with two factories already hit.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that Ukraine now produces over 50% of the weapons used on the front lines, with nearly all long-range systems being domestically made. This marks a dramatic evolution from reliance on Soviet-era arsenals and Western aid early in the war. Fire Point’s chief technical officer, Iryna Terekh, notes that the company deliberately sources components from within Ukraine to avoid dependencies on countries like China or the United States, ensuring operational autonomy.
The Flamingo missile enhances Ukraine’s ability to conduct deep strikes against Russian military and economic targets, such as oil refineries and ammunition depots. General Oleksandr Syrskyi, head of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, reports that such long-range attacks have cost Russia over $21.5 billion this year. Ruslan, an officer in Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, explains that the strategy aims to degrade enemy capabilities and economic potential, with hundreds of strikes already carried out.
Despite these efforts, Ukraine faces challenges in matching Russia’s scale of production, with Moscow launching around 200 Shahed drones daily compared to Ukraine’s response of about half that number. Russian strikes have also caused widespread power outages across Ukraine, impacting civilians. However, Fire Point is scaling up rapidly, producing 200 drones per day and aiming to increase Flamingo missile output, leveraging cost advantages—their drones are three times cheaper than Russian counterparts.
International context plays a crucial role, as U.S. military support has diminished under President Donald Trump, who halted nearly $70 billion in aid and shifted to a European purchase scheme. Europe has struggled to fill this gap, raising concerns about future security guarantees for Ukraine. Terekh dismisses ongoing peace talks as ‘capitulation’ and argues that domestic weapon production is the only way to ensure real security, urging other European nations to learn from Ukraine’s preparedness.
Fire Point’s growth—from a casting agency to a major defense player with $1 billion in drone orders—highlights Ukraine’s innovative resilience. The company’s co-founder, Denys Shtilerman, acknowledges there is no ‘wonder weapon,’ but cites the nation’s will to win as the game-changer. This domestic arms ramp-up not only supports immediate war efforts but also positions Ukraine for long-term strategic independence.
Looking ahead, Ukraine’s push for self-sufficiency could reshape regional security dynamics, offering lessons for Europe on industrial mobilization in conflict. As Terekh puts it, Ukraine serves as a ‘bloody example’ of the need for readiness, with its experiences potentially influencing broader NATO defense policies and resilience strategies in the face of adversarial threats.
