UKRAINE UNLEASHES FP-5 CRUISE MISSILES, AND RUSSIA’S OIL IS GOING UP IN SMOKE
Ukraine has begun deploying its FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles – low-flying, 3,000km-range weapons with 1,150kg warheads that are now hammering Russian energy infrastructure deep behind enemy lines.
Built from repurposed Soviet turbofan engines and carbon fiber bodies that take just 6 hours to manufacture, the FP-5s are faster, harder to intercept, and vastly cheaper than Western missiles. With a price tag of just $500,000, Kyiv can now strike oil targets deep in Russia – daily.
Since August, Ukraine’s DeepStrike campaign has hit 16 of Russia’s 38 refineries, degrading as much as 40% of refining capacity, sparking fuel shortages, kilometer-long gas lines, and forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports. Even sites over 1,000km away – like Novorossiysk and Bashkortostan – have been hit.
The Ryazan refinery near Moscow, capable of producing 340,000 barrels a day, has been struck multiple times. Once these critical units are damaged, sanctions make them nearly impossible to replace.
Ukraine’s FP-1 drones and new Lyutyi models continue to flood Russian airspace, but the arrival of FP-5s could push the campaign into a new, more destructive phase – targeting high-value infrastructure that’s both vital and vulnerable.
For Russia, the war is coming home to roost, and it’s arriving by drone, cruise missile, and fuel shortage.
Source: The Economist
🇺🇦🇷🇺 UKRAINE UNLEASHES FP-5 CRUISE MISSILES, AND RUSSIA’S OIL IS GOING UP IN SMOKE
Ukraine has begun deploying its FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles – low-flying, 3,000km-range weapons with 1,150kg warheads that are now hammering Russian energy infrastructure deep behind enemy… https://t.co/KY4Jp13uQX pic.twitter.com/BXjSh6kucM
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 6, 2025
The Economist also reported that Flamingo production incorporates refurbished Soviet-era turbofan engines, with carbon-fiber fuselages taking just six hours to manufacture. Currently, two to three FPV-5 missiles are produced daily, a figure expected to rise to seven by the end of the month. Each costs about $500,000. By comparison, the article cited the American Tomahawk missile, which costs four times as much, has a shorter range, and carries far less payload—though it is likely more accurate and harder to intercept.
🇺🇦🚀 According to President Zelensky, in recent days Ukraine has been using not only drones but also domestically produced cruise missiles to carry out strikes against Russia. pic.twitter.com/esoLIrYlNq
— NSTRIKE (@NSTRIKE1231) October 6, 2025