Strana 32
It simply cannot cover its entire territory with
air defense, and Ukrainians plan drone routes
to exploit gaps in that defense. When they send
a large number of drones at a refinery, some of
them get through — and as already mentioned,
a small explosion in a flammable target is
enough.
However, Ukraine is also working on weapons
with far more destructive power. During the
observed period, it introduced its own cruise
missile, the FP-5 Flamingo. It is powered by
an Ivchenko AI-25TL jet engine, also installed
in L-39 Albatros airplane. The missile weighs
6 tons, of which 1.1 tons is the warhead. It
is thus intended for more resistant targets.
The Flamingo is ground-launched, has a top
speed of 950 km/h, and a range of up to 3,000 km.
The issue may be quantity: Ukraine is currently
able to produce only one missile per day, though
production is expected to ramp up to seven
units daily. The Ukrainian armed forces have
released several videos showing the launch of
these missiles at Russian targets, although so
far, these have only been isolated strikes.
Another new weapon entering Ukraine’s
arsenal is the American ERAM (Extended
Range Attack Munitions) cruise missile. These
began rushed development in 2024 based on
experience from the Ukrainian battlefield. They
are meant to be affordable and simple but
effective missiles. Ukrainians can launch them
from F-16s and MiG-29s. The missile carries
a 227 kg warhead, flies at 700 km/h, and has
a range of 240 to 460 km depending on launch
altitude. At the end of August, U.S. President
Trump approved the sale of up to 3,350 ERAM
missiles to Ukraine. The first ten are expected
to be delivered for testing in early October this
year.
Ukraine also received a new reinforcement
during the observed period from the Czech
Republic. Volunteers from the “Gift for Putin”
initiative delivered a UH-60A Black Hawk
helicopter to Ukraine, funded by donations
from citizens of the Czech Republic, Slovakia,
and other countries. More than 20,000 donors
contributed to the total sum of 72 million Czech
crowns (2.9 million euros). The fundraiser began
in November 2023 and concluded in March 2025.
Ukraine then paid for the helicopter's transport
and preparation for service. The helicopter,
now named Čestmír, is already in Ukraine.
It was taken over by the military intelligence
service GUR, which already operates two other
Black Hawk helicopters. All three are older
UH-60A models that have undergone complete
overhauls. GUR has used these helicopters for
deploying special forces behind enemy lines.
Combat Losses
During the observed period, the Ukrainian
Air Force lost one aircraft — tragically, along
with the pilot. During the vee hours of Saturday,
August 23rd, Major Serhiy Bondar took off in a
MiG-29 fighter jet from the Pryluky base in the
Chernihiv region. After completing a combat
mission, the plane crashed at 2:54 AM during
landing at the Cherkasy base. The aircraft went
down near the runway.
Major Bondar was the deputy commander of
the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, which bears
the honorary name “Ghost of Kyiv.” He was one
of the most experienced pilots of this unit. He
graduated from the Kharkiv Air Force Institute
in 2000. After some time, he left military
aviation and lectured at the National Aviation
University. However, after the Russian invasion
began in 2022, he did not hesitate and returned
to military aviation. He regained his flying skills
on the L-39 Albatros and later flew MiG-29
fighters with the 40th brigade. He participated
in air defense and ground attack missions.
He died in a MiG-29MU1 with tail number “white
20.”
The Russian side also lost one fighter jet in
the air. This occurred on Thursday, August 14th,
when a Sukhoi Su-30SM of the Russian Naval
Aviation crashed into the Black Sea southeast of
Snake Island. The cause of the crash is unknown,
and the crew of two did not survive.
On the ground, Russia lost at least two
Mi-8 helicopters, which were hit by drones
on Saturday, August 30th, at the Simferopol
base in occupied Crimea. Their destruction
was confirmed by a video from FPV drones of
Ukrainian military intelligence, by a video of
a large fire shot by local residents, and later
by satellite images. The Ukrainian side also
claimed the destruction of one Mi-24 helicopter,
but this has not been confirmed.
UKRAINE
Ukrainian Flamingo missile.
Ukrainian Air Force Major Serhiy Bondar died on August 23rd in a MiG-29 fighter.
INFO Eduard32
October 2025