(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that the development of the country’s long-range Flamingo missile has faced both technical difficulties and delays in financing, though he said that procurement orders are expected to be ready within a few weeks.

First announced in August, the Flamingo has been promoted by Zelensky as Ukraine’s first domestically produced long-range cruise missile, with a reported range of up to 3,000 kilometers. Analysts, however, have pointed out its similarities to the FP-5 system unveiled by the British-UAE defense company Milanion Group earlier this year.

In an interview with TSN on Sunday, Zelensky acknowledged that “there was a technological problem at the production of Flamingo,” and added that “there is a delay in financing from partners, which is being resolved.” He reassured that the missile order “would be fully fulfilled by the end of the year.”

If accurate, the Flamingo’s range would allow it to reach targets in Moscow, echoing Zelensky’s prior threats against Russian border regions and the capital. Russian media have reported that one Flamingo was intercepted by Moscow’s air defenses, describing it as traveling at relatively low speed and incorporating a mix of a Soviet-era engine and several components of Chinese origin.

Earlier reports indicated that the missile’s fuel would be produced in Denmark. According to broadcaster DR, the facility, located in southern Denmark, is owned by FPRT, a subsidiary of the Ukrainian company Fire Point, which developed the missile. The company has faced an anti-corruption investigation over alleged misrepresentation of pricing and delivery schedules.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the Flamingo missiles are “intended to strike deep inside Russia,” and accused Denmark of acting as one of the “sponsors of the terrorist Kiev regime.”

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