Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Kyiv on the night Ukrainian "Flamingo" cruise missiles struck the Votkinsk plant - a facility producing Iskander and Yars systems as well as components for the Oreshnik. The strike range was 1,500 kilometers from Kyiv. On February 25, footage emerged showing the missile hitting a workshop at the facility.
In an interview with Natalia Moseychuk recorded on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, Pompeo - who has served on the supervisory board of Fire Point, the missiles' manufacturer, since November 2025 - assessed the significance of the strike, "Hvylya" reports.
"They have created an impressive technology and have done enormous work. I think Ukraine - its creativity, its capacity for innovation, its technology - will be the decisive force," Pompeo said of Fire Point.
Pompeo said "in most wars, the side whose industrial base outpaces the adversary's capabilities wins." Ukraine is demonstrating its capacity for innovation "at an incredible speed," and the Fire Point strike is "a big step toward the ability to really put pressure on Putin," he said.
Asked whether the Flamingo missiles could rival the Tomahawk, Pompeo replied: "I don't know. Let there be plenty of everything - let a thousand flowers bloom." He expressed hope that both Fire Point and other Ukrainian companies would continue to innovate.
Pompeo also said Ukraine should be allowed to use all available capabilities to strike Russian military targets. "We've long said we should let Ukraine use all of its capabilities. Of course, not strikes on civilian targets - the West doesn't do that - but on military targets, on Putin's military bases," he said.
Earlier, Ukrainian strike systems devastated Russian strategic facilities at Votkinsk and Neftegorsk. The Armed Forces also struck Russian command posts using ATACMS missiles.
Also read Romanenko's analysis of why Ukraine's negotiating power is forged in drone factories, not diplomatic offices.