"Flamingo" Struck At The "Heart" Of Russia's Space Program
11- 15.08.2026, 17:26
- 8,578
The Progress Center is one of the key enterprises in the Russian space industry.
On the night of August 15, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out strikes against Russian targets. In Samara, the the "Progress" Rocket and Space Center, which manufactures "Soyuz" rockets, could have been hit.
This was reported by Defense Express.
What is known about the attack
At around 4:00 a.m. local time, a missile alert was issued in the Samara Region. At approximately 3:40 a.m., local sources reported hearing the sound of a jet aircraft flying overhead, a powerful explosion, and a massive fire.
Some videos show signs of two strikes.
Using one of the available photographs, journalists attempted to determine the location of the possible impact. According to their assessment, it may correspond to the territory of the “Progress” Rocket and Space Center.
.jpg)
Why “Progress” Is Important to Russia
The “Progress” Rocket and Space Center is one of the key enterprises in the Russian space industry. It manufactures launch vehicles from the “Soyuz” family, including the “Soyuz-2.1b.”
It is with these rockets that Russia has already twice launched “Rassvet” satellites into orbit—its own satellite constellation project, which is intended to be the Russian equivalent of Starlink. At the same time, the “Soyuz” rockets are also used to launch other Russian military satellites.
The facility is located on the grounds of the Aviakor aircraft manufacturing plant. In fact, it is a single complex of production workshops stretching about one kilometer, where the full assembly cycle of Soyuz rockets takes place.
According to preliminary estimates, a possible strike could have targeted the western part of the complex, where the key production area is located and the final stages of rocket assembly take place.
If this information is confirmed, the attack could have damaged not only production facilities but also equipment and rockets that were already in the middle or final stages of production.
What This Could Mean for Russia’s Space Programs
Since 2022, Russia has conducted approximately 6–8 “Soyuz-2.1b” launches per year. These rockets were used for various space programs and commercial missions, though a significant portion of the launches were for the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Therefore, serious damage to production facilities could create problems for several Russian programs, particularly for the launch of military satellites and the development of the “Rassvet” program.
At the same time, it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions. Satellite imagery is needed to confirm the extent of the damage.
Denis Stillerman, co-owner of Fire Point , hinted at the possible use of “Flamingo” by posting a video of the rocket launch.
Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims
You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com
