(KYIV) – A Ukrainian strike on the Progress Rocket and Space Centre in Samara has caused a fire covering approximately 5,000 square metres, significantly degrading Russia’s military and technological capabilities, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed on Tuesday.
The attack, carried out on 15th August 2026 using FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles, struck the production workshop for assembling engines for Soyuz-type launch vehicles and the aircraft maintenance workshop of JSC Aviakor Aviation Plant, according to an official statement from the Ukrainian military.
“During the analysis of additional data, the August 15, 2026, strike on the production workshop for assembling engines for Soyuz-type launch vehicles and the aircraft maintenance workshop of JSC Aviakor – Aviation Plant was confirmed. In addition, a fire covering approximately 5,000 m² was recorded as a result of the strike on the Progress Rocket and Space Center in Samara, Samara Region, Russian Federation,” the General Staff said.
The Progress Rocket and Space Centre is one of the key enterprises in Russia’s rocket and space industry, involved in the production of the Soyuz family of launch vehicles. The enterprise’s products are used to place spacecraft into orbit and deploy Russian satellite communications constellations in the interests of the Russian army, including satellites from the Rassvet project.
“The destruction of facilities of this level significantly reduces the military and technological capabilities of the Russian aggressor,” the General Staff emphasised.
Open source intelligence analysts reported that the strike created a crater 85 metres long and 35 metres wide. The hit struck Building 106A, part of the production complex for Soyuz launch vehicles. This facility operates under a high cleanroom classification, where onboard electrical equipment, instruments, and printed circuit boards are installed. It effectively serves as the launch vehicle’s “nervous system,” housing the control system, cable network, and instrumentation compartment.
Building 106B, which houses final assembly, is located nearby. Analysts emphasised that the high-class cleanroom contamination by combustion products means requalifying the clean zones, recertifying the production process, and conducting repeated dust-control inspections will take months rather than weeks.
The strike has prompted comparisons between the Ukrainian Flamingo missile and the American Tomahawk. In terms of flight range and warhead weight, the Ukrainian missile manufactured by Fire Point surpasses the American one, creating significant problems for the Russian rear. The missiles had to cover at least 900 kilometres to reach the target, passing through air defence systems along the entire route.
Russian claims about “10 out of 11 downed Flamingo missiles” are an element of Russian information and psychological operations, not a confirmed fact, according to military experts.
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