Flamingo missiles strike sanctioned factory in Kirov, 1,200 kilometers from Ukrainian border

On Friday morning, July 24, FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles struck the AVITEK military plant in the Russian city of Kirov, located 1,200 km from the Ukrainian border. According to Ukrinform, the ASTRA Telegram channel reported this. On the morning of July 24, residents of Kirov reported explosions and a fire.

According to ASTRA's analysis of eyewitness footage, the JSC Vyatka Machine-Building Enterprise AVITEK was attacked and is on fire. According to official and Russian open sources, the company manufactures products for military, dual-use, and civilian purposes, including air defense systems; aircraft components; ejection seats for pilot rescue; aircraft lifting systems and winches; beam mounts; and other aviation equipment. According to the Russian Union of Machine Builders, the company has a full production cycle, from casting and forging/pressing to final assembly and product testing.

According to information from War & Sanctions, a Ukrainian project of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the plant specializes in producing surface-to-air guided missiles, target missiles, ejection seats for pilot rescue, aviation hoisting systems and winches, and more. The company is involved in the joint production of Tor surface-to-air missile systems. It is noted that the AVITEK plant is subject to sanctions imposed by the United States, Ukraine, and other countries.

Denis Shtilerman, co-founder of the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, hinted on the social network X that Flamingo missiles may have been used during the strike. As reported by Ukrinform, two Wildberries warehouses are on fire in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region of the Russian Federation following a drone attack..