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Long-Range Ukrainian Strike Hits ICBM Plant 800 Miles Inside Russia

Flamingo jet-powered cruise missile on takeoff (FirePoint)
Flamingo jet-powered cruise missile on takeoff (FirePoint)

Published Feb 22, 2026 10:55 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

A Ukrainian strike on the Votkinsk ballistic missile plant in Russia’s Udmurt Republic on February 21 indicates that they have been able to extend the range of their attacks on targets deep in Russia using Flamingo cruise missiles.

The Votkinsk plant is one of Russia’s major production facilties for the manufacture of Iskander and Oreshnik ballistic missiles. These are currently Russia’s most effective ballistic missile systems, largely because of the shortage of uniquely-capable Patriot air defense missiles. For the Ukrainians, the shortage of Patriots can be counteracted by destroying the Iskanders and Oreshniks while they are in production.

The Votkinsk Plant also produces the full range of ballistic missiles facing off against the West, from the heavy-weight intercontinental ballistic missiles such as the RS-24 Yars, RT-2PM2 Topol-M missiles and RSM-56 Bulava submarine launched ballistic missile, through to a family of intermediate ballistic missiles, including Scud-A/Bs, SS20s and SS23s.

The accuracy and success of the raid is not yet clear. Social media reports indicate casualties, black smoke above the factory and blast-blown windows in neighboring buildings. Flamingo missiles appear to have reached their target – many more than if the attack had been launched with the converted light aircraft drones which the Ukrainians have previously had to rely on. It appears therefore that the production problems affecting the manufacture of Flamingo missiles may be over, and that the numbers emerging out of the factories is increasing. Flamingos will in due course be supplemented by ballistic missiles, such as those being developed for Ukraine under the United Kingdom’s Project Nightfall program.

The Votkinsk Plant lies 800 miles from the Ukrainian border, implying the Flamingo's range is on the order of 1,000 miles. This puts all of Russia’s western oil-exporting ports in range, plus Kaliningrad, Caspian seaports (through which Iranian arms exports are reaching Russia), the Kerch Bridge to Crimea and also the highly-developed Russian internal sea canal network. Close by the Votkinsk Plant is the factory in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone producing Iranian-derived drones.

Flamingo range radius from an optimal firing point in northeastern Ukraine (Landsat/Google Earth/CJRC)

After a year in which the front line has barely changed, with Russian control of Pokrovsk still not consolidated, there have been greater dynamics in recent weeks, both on land and at sea. Ukraine is reporting to have consolidated its hold this month over 115 square miles of territory in the south-east. Russia has continued with very damaging mass missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, designed to exploit the harsh winter weather.

Russian oil exports, which are critical to Russia’s financing of the war, fell from an estimated 3.8 million bpd in December and are currently running at 2.8 million bpd, with interceptions at sea on the increase. There is no early end in sight to the war, with neither a sign of a Russian breakthrough nor a Ukrainian collapse of will.