In this secret missile factory, Ukraine is ramping up its domestic arms industry

Ukraine is bolstering its domestic weapons manufacturing capabilities, producing over half of the arms used on the front lines, according to President Zelensky. This includes long-range weapons, with cruise missiles now adding to Ukraine's strike capabilities. To protect this vital production, facilities are hidden, as defense correspondent Jonathan Beale discovered on a visit to a secret location where the Flamingo cruise missile is being made.

After being driven blindfolded to the undisclosed site, all phones were switched off to maintain secrecy around the Flamingo missile production. The need for such precautions became clear when it was revealed that two factories belonging to Fire Point, the missile's manufacturer, had already been targeted. Inside the factory, filming was restricted to avoid revealing identifying features, and workers' faces were kept out of view.

Iryna Terekh, Fire Point's chief technical officer, is at the forefront of this effort. The 33-year-old, once an architecture student, now focuses on developing weapons to counter Russian aggression. She described the Flamingo missile, painted black to symbolize its target of “Russian oil,” and resembling the German V1 rocket from World War II. While Fire Point has confirmed the missile's combat use, specific targets remain undisclosed.

The Flamingo missile, with a range of 3,000km, is the type of deep-strike weapon that Western nations have hesitated to supply. Its capabilities are comparable to the US-made Tomahawk missile. Ukraine has been using long-range drones to strike at Russia's war economy to slow down Russian advances. General Oleksandr Syrskyi, head of Ukraine's Armed Forces, estimates that these strikes have cost the Russian economy over $21.5 billion this year.

According to Ruslan, an officer in Ukraine's Special Operations Forces, the strategy is to diminish the enemy's military and economic potential. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces have reportedly conducted hundreds of strikes on Russian oil refineries, weapons factories, and ammunition depots. Russia, however, has been launching around 200 Shahed drones daily, dwarfing Ukraine's response of about half that number, and targeting civilian infrastructure, causing widespread power outages.

Despite the disparity in resources, Fire Point is producing 200 drones per day. Denys Shtilerman, chief designer and co-founder, emphasizes that the will to win is the crucial factor. The company's FP1 and FP2 drones, each costing around $50,000, have executed 60% of Ukraine's long-range strikes.

While Ukraine still relies on external support, it is striving for self-sufficiency, prioritizing domestically sourced components. Ms. Terekh explained that they avoid components from China and the United States to maintain control over their weapons production. She views domestic weapons production as the only true guarantee of security, especially given the uncertainty surrounding future US support. She hopes Ukraine serves as a stark warning to the rest of Europe, urging them to prepare for potential conflict, stating that any other country facing a similar onslaught would likely have been conquered.