- Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck a major Russian GRAU ammunition arsenal near Kotluban in the Volgograd region on Feb. 12 using FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles, according to the General Staff.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said five long-range “Flamingo” missiles were intercepted, while local officials reported a fire and evacuations at a Ministry of Defense facility.
Ukrainian Defense Forces struck one of Russia’s largest ammunition storage sites overnight on Feb. 12, targeting a comprehensive missile, munitions, and explosives arsenal near the settlement of Kotluban in Russia’s Volgograd region, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In a statement, the General Staff said units of the Defense Forces used Ukrainian long-range strike assets, identified as FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles, to hit the facility, which belongs to the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) of Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
“Powerful explosions were recorded on the territory of the facility, followed by secondary detonation. The scale of the damage is being clarified,” the General Staff said.
The targeted site is described by Ukrainian officials as one of the largest storage areas for ammunition used by the Russian army. The arsenal is part of the infrastructure overseen by GRAU, the body responsible for managing missile and artillery weapons, as well as ammunition logistics for Russian forces.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that an attack involving long-range cruise missiles had taken place but stated that its air defense systems intercepted five “Flamingo” long-range cruise missiles. The ministry said the assault was repelled.
Despite Moscow’s statement, local accounts and footage circulating on Russian social media platforms showed secondary detonations at the site. Residents in the area filmed large explosions and sustained blasts consistent with ammunition cooking off inside a storage facility.
Volgograd Region Governor Andrey Bocharov reported a fire at a Ministry of Defense facility, stating that it was caused by the “fall of debris.” Russian authorities frequently use this wording in cases involving reported strikes on military infrastructure. Bocharov added that due to the threat of detonation during firefighting operations, residents were evacuated from nearby areas as a precaution.
Russian Telegram channels also acknowledged that the storage base had been hit.
The FP-5 “Flamingo” is a domestically developed long-range cruise missile used to strike high-value military targets deep inside Russian territory. Cruise missiles of this class are designed to fly at low altitudes and follow programmed routes, allowing them to evade air defenses and deliver precision strikes against fixed infrastructure.
The Kotluban-area arsenal functions as a centralized storage complex for rockets, artillery shells, and other explosive materials intended for distribution to operational units. Such facilities play a key role in sustaining Russia’s large-scale artillery operations in its war against Ukraine.