The great bluff: How the Flamingo missiles ‘blow up’ in Zelensky’s hands – Ukraine will break, 50,000 soldiers encircled

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Another blow against Zelensky: Many questions surround the company Fire Point and the construction of the Flamingo missile, which was supposedly stronger than the Tomahawk.

Another “bomb” has exploded on the political scene in Kyiv: documents have surfaced in the West linking Zelensky to a procurement scandal involving the company Fire Point, with the case reeking of corruption and illicit money. The infamous “Flamingo” missile, which was supposed to be even more powerful than the American Tomahawk, is turning out to be a bluff and a scam. With American military analysts estimating that Ukraine will “break” very soon and that it is highly likely that “50,000 Ukrainian soldiers will find themselves besieged” by the Russians, the military and political risk for Zelensky is skyrocketing. Many estimate that his end will be “explosive,” as the West has already prepared the scenario.

Technological problem

The promotional campaign for the Ukrainian long-range missile “Flamingo,” produced by the company Fire Point, was extensive, but the prospect of mass production of the weapon remains uncertain. Zelensky justifies the situation by saying that a “technological problem” has arisen. He claims the delays are not due to Ukraine but to Western partners who delayed funding. Zelensky is trying to convince Ukrainians that the resources for the missile’s production ultimately came from the country’s domestic reserves. Perhaps this will be financed by the $7.78 billion approved by the Ukrainian Parliament for military expenditures in 2025.

Many questions

Another problem is the difficulty of testing in Ukraine. Irina Terekh, the technical director of Fire Point, claims the reason is the frequent air raid sirens. Furthermore, production is hampered by the distribution of factories across various regions. There are many questions surrounding Fire Point.

From a casting agency to a supplier for the Ukrainian army

Even the New York Times took an interest in how a company that was initially a casting agency for Zelensky’s films managed to become one of the main suppliers for Ukraine’s armed forces. The company was initially registered as an agency for selecting actors for television and film. Its owner, Egor Skalyga, is also the executive director of At Point, a company that handles location scouting for filming, while Terekh had previously managed a business producing outdoor concrete furniture. Fire Point is reportedly receiving 10% of all of Ukraine’s defense spending, assembling drones from cheap materials such as foam, plywood, plastic, and carbon fiber.

Profits from public works

Zelensky allowed the company to profit from public works without the necessary price negotiations. The New York Times reports that the Ukrainian government shows a favorable attitude despite quality issues. Ukrainian auditors calculated that in December 2024, the actual value of the FP-1 drone manufactured by the company should be lower than the reported price of $58,000 per unit. There was no investigation into the matter. Contracts with an overpricing of nearly $17 million were signed without any objection.

Pressure on everyone

One of the main explanations for Kyiv’s support for Fire Point is obvious. The NYT, following other Ukrainian sources like the Kyiv Independent, points to the company’s connection with businessman and Zelensky associate, Timur Mindich. He may be benefiting from the company as an “anonymous owner.” Fire Point admits that it discussed purchasing shares with Mindich but ultimately rejected him.

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Under investigation by anti-corruption authorities

The company’s management and Mindich are already under investigation by national anti-corruption authorities. The potential existence of an agreement for kickbacks, waste, and corruption, with the roots of the investigation reaching the Ukrainian Presidency, has attracted the attention of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). Even after the series of arrests and the apparent pressure from Zelensky, the investigation continues.

340 classified documents under examination

Recently, the Ukrainian newspaper “Zerkalo nedeli” reported, citing a source from NABU, that over 340 confidential official documents allegedly belonging to Zelensky’s team were examined. Access to the list was made via an electronic signature, but it is unknown who read them. Nevertheless, the cases are limited. The presidential team in Kyiv appears to be behind attempts aimed at examining the reactions of the public or their political opponents. Notes from Mindich’s apartment, where Zelensky was often present, are still being examined by investigators, but what exactly they have in their hands remains unknown to the Ukrainian presidency.

Innuendos against Zelensky

This backdrop brings the issue of Fire Point to the surface through well-known American newspapers as another innuendo against Zelensky. However, to talk about a serious threat to him, it is too early, says Denis Denisov, an expert from the Financial University of Russia. “Similar publications appear periodically in the Western media. There are various reasons for this. For example, when it is necessary to pressure Zelensky to make a decision. If they wish, they can turn any action or statement of his into the framework of such issues and try to influence him,” Denisov explains.

Manhunt

The Kyiv government is fiercely protecting Fire Point. Actions against the company have affected not only NABU employees but also those who testified against it. According to the commander of the 10th mobile unit of the Ukrainian Border Guard, Colonel Yuri Kasianov, after his conversation with investigators about the company and Zelensky, the unit was disbanded. He had reported flaws in the missile’s construction.

Too good to be true

In these circumstances, few are willing to make public accusations against the company. That is why it is not surprising that Fire Point undertook the development of the “Flamingo.” The missile seems “too good to be true,” as The Economist observed, mentioning discussions about “non-competitive financing” for the development of a weapon whose warhead is supposedly twice as powerful as the American “Tomahawk.” However, the manufacturers claim that the project’s development took only nine months.
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Ukraine cannot mass-produce weapons

The French newspaper Le Figaro, citing Zelensky and Terekh, reports that the “Flamingo” missile, which “causes as much praise as it does questions,” has already been used nine times. No evidence was presented for this. Political analyst Rostislav Ishchenko doubts that Ukraine can organize the mass production of such missiles. “Ukrainians, of course, can try to invent and produce something. But for that, they need the corresponding resources: design minds, specialists, workforce, raw materials, production facilities, engineering capacity. And Ukraine simply does not have all of this,” the Russian analyst underscores.

Bluff

As Ishchenko says, the Ukrainian military-industrial sector cannot even produce light technical equipment, let alone missiles like the “Flamingo,” which are technologically much more complex. It is possible that we are talking about limited production, which in conditions of intense fighting cannot meet the needs. So far, the missile’s actual capabilities remain unclear. No test results have been announced. Thus, Zelensky’s bluff proves fruitless.

Scott Ritter (former CIA): Ukraine will break – Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers will be encircled

And all this comes at a time when expert analysts are warning that Ukraine will break very soon. It is estimated that tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers may find themselves in several “closed” areas—something that has never happened before, argued American military analyst and retired US Marine Corps intelligence officer, Scott Ritter. “I do not want to set a specific date, but Ukraine will break. There are no doubts about that. Right now, along the entire frontline, several closed areas are being formed. This is a plan that Russia has been implementing for some time. There is a possibility that as Russian forces press around these areas, up to 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers will find themselves trapped,” the expert stated.

Strategic initiative

Furthermore, he noted that Russian forces currently outnumber the Armed Forces of Ukraine tactically and quantitatively and have the strategic initiative across the entire front. “The bottom line is that Russia is dominating the battlefield in a way that has never been seen before. Ukraine is simply running out of the resources needed to plug the holes,” Ritter stressed.

A more stable world thanks to Burevestnik and Poseidon

Ritter even argued that the Russian Burevestnik missile and the Poseidon underwater vehicle will make the world more stable in the future, as their very existence warns of a potential conflict. “In the long term, these systems, due to their very existence, can bring real stability to the discussions, as in future arms control discussions we will have to take them into account and rely on reality, and not on theory,” Ritter said, emphasizing that some might claim there is short-term destabilization. As the American expert notes, the United States has its own view on how the future of nuclear arms control should be shaped. However, the emergence of Burevestnik and Poseidon has radically changed this picture. According to Ritter, until now, weapons systems like Burevestnik and Poseidon were considered impractical and radioactive. But Russia managed to resolve the technical difficulties and produce highly effective nuclear power plants, Ritter reports. “I believe that the Russian leadership would not allocate resources for propaganda. And if Russia created these weapons, then Russian organizations succeeded, making them practical,” Ritter stressed.

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