Ukraine struck two high-value Russian targets deep behind enemy lines using domestically produced FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on August 15, marking one of the longest-range precision strikes of the war.
The primary target was the Progress Rocket Space Center in Russia’s Samara region, a key enterprise within the state space corporation Roscosmos involved in electronics production and the manufacture of launch vehicles for Russia’s Rassvet satellite broadband network, a system Moscow is developing as an alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink.
“The Progress Center, which was involved, among other things, in electronics production, was hit. Flamingo missiles were used. A good achievement,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. The facility lies approximately 900 kilometers (560 miles) from Ukraine’s border.
Savasleyka Airbase Also Targeted
In a coordinated strike, Ukrainian forces also hit the Savasleyka military airbase in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, roughly 700 kilometers from Ukraine. The airfield has been used to base MiG-31K fighter jets capable of carrying Kinzhal ballistic missiles, which Russia regularly uses to strike Ukrainian cities.
“The Savasleyka airfield, where the carriers of Russian missiles that strike our cities and villages are based, was also reached by our long-range sanctions,” Zelenskyy said. Russian monitoring channels confirmed explosions at both locations.
Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev acknowledged that missiles had struck an “industrial facility” in the region without identifying the site, adding that authorities were still determining whether there were casualties.
Russia Retaliates on Kyiv
Russia launched a retaliatory missile barrage on Kyiv following the strikes, with the city’s mayor reporting casualties from the attack. The strikes on the Russian capital region continued simultaneously, with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reporting 600 drones detected heading toward the capital between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
The Flamingo strikes are part of what Zelenskyy has described as a “plan of long-range sanctions” aimed at systematically dismantling Moscow’s war potential. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Roscosmos facilities to degrade Russia’s satellite communications capabilities, which Moscow relies on for coordinating drone operations and battlefield communications.
The Progress Rocket Space Center is one of Russia’s most strategically important aerospace facilities. Its Rassvet satellite network, modeled on commercial broadband constellations, provides Russia with independent communications infrastructure as Western sanctions restrict access to foreign technology. The strike is expected to set back the program’s timeline significantly.
Sources: The Guardian; Kyiv Independent; United24 Media; ANI; Zelenskyy official X account
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