Ukraine unveils powerful long-range FP-5 Flamingo missile amid major anti-corruption crackdown

Ukraine has unveiled its new long-range cruise missile, the FP-5 Flamingo, capable of striking targets up to 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) away with pinpoint accuracy. Ukrainian forces used the missile for the first time in recent attacks on Russian-occupied territories, hitting oil depots, radar systems, helicopter bases, and command centers in Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia region. The FP-5, which carries a payload of 1,150 kilograms (2,535 pounds) and can land within 14 meters of its target, showcases Ukraine’s growing domestic weapons capability amid its ongoing war with Russia.

While Ukraine demonstrates military innovation, it is also confronting a major corruption scandal within its energy sector. The investigation centers on Energoatom, the state-owned nuclear power company, where officials allegedly participated in a kickback scheme worth around $100 million. In response, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s justice and energy ministers resigned, and several senior Energoatom executives, including its vice president, were dismissed.

Zelenskyy pledged “full transparency” and vowed to strengthen Ukraine’s independent anti-corruption bodies to restore confidence among both the public and international donors. Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko emphasized that corruption during wartime is “unacceptable,” calling it a matter of “honor and dignity.”

The European Union, a key supporter of Kyiv’s war effort, reiterated its demand for deeper anti-corruption reforms. A European Commission spokesperson said the unfolding investigation proved that Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies were “in place and functioning,” but stressed that fighting corruption “requires continuous efforts and respect for the rule of law.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU will release a six-billion-euro ($7 billion) loan to Ukraine and promised additional financial aid in the coming years. “We will cover the financial needs of Ukraine for the next two years,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament, adding that Russia’s Vladimir Putin “miscalculated” by assuming Western unity would falter.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Ukraine’s top military commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited troops in Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region, where Ukrainian forces are locked in fierce street battles with advancing Russian troops. Syrskyi said the priority was to maintain supply routes, prevent encirclement, and stabilize the defense line. He denied claims of Russian control over Pokrovsk, saying Ukraine’s forces were holding their ground.

The dual narrative of Ukraine’s technological progress and its internal fight against corruption highlights both the challenges and resilience of a nation at war — striving for reform, accountability, and survival against an enduring Russian assault.