In an interview with RTVI, Alexey Zhuravlev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, responded to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s recent statement that Ukraine would launch large-scale production of Flamingo cruise missiles by the end of the year.

Zhuravlev argued that such missiles do not actually exist, describing them instead as British F-5 missiles, which had earlier been showcased at an arms exhibition in the UAE. According to him, London deliberately presents these weapons as Ukrainian to avoid the appearance of being a full participant in the conflict. He stressed that, once these British missiles are delivered to Ukrainian territory, they would inevitably become a target for Russian strikes.

Another State Duma deputy, Viktor Sobolev, expressed doubt that Kyiv could establish production of such missiles at all. He pointed out that Russia consistently carries out strikes on Ukraine’s defense industry facilities and warehouses where such weapons could potentially be stored.

Sobolev questioned Zelensky’s claims, noting that Russian forces are continually targeting Ukraine’s factories, arsenals, and supply depots. In his view, the Ukrainian leader’s primary goal with such statements is not the actual deployment of new weapons, but rather to prolong the conflict.