KIROV, Russia — Satellite imagery has confirmed damage to a production hall at the Avitek plant in the Russian city of Kirov following a Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile strike carried out on the morning of July 24, 2026.
The satellite images, published by the Dnipro OSINT community, show a hole measuring approximately 21.5 by 24 meters in the roof of one of the plant's production buildings.
Analysis of the imagery indicates that the strike directly damaged the facility. Additional photographs taken by eyewitnesses show that the building's window frames were bent outward by the blast.
According to the image analysis, this pattern suggests the main explosion occurred inside the building, causing significant internal damage rather than being limited to the roof.
Residents of Kirov reported hearing explosions at around 7:00 a.m. local time. Shortly afterward, smoke was seen rising from the area of the plant, and videos showing the aftermath were shared on social media.
Kirov is located more than 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, making it one of the deeper strikes reported inside Russian territory.
The use of the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile was confirmed by Denys Shtilerman, chief designer and co-owner of the Ukrainian company Fire Point, who also shared video footage of a missile launch linked to the operation.
According to OSINT Varta, JSC Vyatka Machine-Building Enterprise Avitek is part of the Almaz-Antey defense concern and specializes in the production of aviation equipment and pilot rescue systems.
The facility is Russia's only serial producer of ejection seats for fighter and attack aircraft, including those used on Su-34 and Su-57 aircraft. It also manufactures anti-aircraft guided missiles, target missiles, aerial target simulators, and components associated with cruise missiles, including the Kh-101 and Kh-59.
Avitek is under sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, Ukraine, Canada, Switzerland, and New Zealand because of its role in Russia's military-industrial complex.
Russian regional authorities reported casualties following the strike. Governor Alexander Sokolov said that six people were killed and 26 others were injured. Ukrainian sources have reported higher casualty figures in some accounts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed the strike, stating that the facility supplies components for Russian aircraft and missile systems.
The FP-5 Flamingo is a ground-launched cruise missile developed by Fire Point. The strike on the Avitek plant marks another confirmed use of the missile against a Russian defense-related facility in 2026.
Source : militarnyi
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