As of now, the U.S.-Russia summit and the meeting between U.S. leaders and Ukrainian and European leaders have both concluded.

Interestingly, before Zelenskyy's trip to the United States, a cruise missile with a range of 3,000 kilometers named "Flamingo" was exposed within Ukraine.

According to reports, on August 17 local time, the Associated Press first released photos of the "Flamingo" and said it is mass-produced by the Ukrainian "Fire Point" company — shortly after, the information from the Associated Press was confirmed by Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepanov, but he did not release specific details about the missile.

For a long time, the long-range weapons provided by Western countries to Ukraine have had a range of no more than 300 kilometers, and there are strict restrictions on their use. However, it is still questionable whether this new long-range "super weapon" has been provided by the West.

So where did this strategically significant new weapon come from?

Visually, the "Flamingo" is similar to the upgraded Tu-141 drones used by the Ukrainian military, but there is a big difference in performance.

Notably, at the defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi this February, a FP-5 cruise missile was displayed. It was launched by Milanion, a British and UAE joint venture, and it is highly similar to the "Flamingo".

In terms of performance, both have a range of 3,000 kilometers, carry a 1,000 kg warhead, weigh 6 tons when launched, and have a cruising speed between 850 and 900 km/h.

Some analysts believe that the "Flamingo" may originate from a previous cooperation agreement between the British Milanion company and the Ukrainian Armor company, as the two companies previously collaborated to produce a robot, so the Ukrainian side may have obtained the production license for the FP-5 and carried out localized modifications. Meanwhile, Russian officials speculate that Western manufacturers directly participated in the development.

Regardless of the acquisition path, the "Flamingo" has a high degree of similarity with the FP-5. Once the "Flamingo" is put into use, it will place great pressure on Russia's air defense system.

Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1840948488588297/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.