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Czechs Fund Ukraine’s Flamingo Cruise Missile in Record 48 Hours, Honoring Dana Drábová
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The Czech initiative “Gift for Putin” said it raised the full $520,000 needed to purchase a Ukrainian-built Flamingo cruise missile—designated DANA 1 in honor of the late Czech nuclear safety chief Dana Drábová—less than two days after launching the appeal on October 22.
Organizers and Czech media reported the target was reached around 17:30 on October 23, with contributions exceeding more than 8,000 donors participating.
“The goal was reached in roughly 48 hours—that’s a record. It exceeded all our expectations,” project organizer Martin Ondráček told Novinky.
According to the initiative, once paid for, “the missile will be handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They will decide when to use it and determine its target.”
The group says the Flamingo has a range of 3,000 kilometers, a top speed of about 900 km/h, and a warhead of up to 1,150 kilograms.
It uses a jet engine reportedly adapted from Aero L-39 Albatros trainers, incorporates electronic counter-countermeasures, and relies on hardened GPS guidance.
The campaign named the missile DANA 1 after Drábová, who died on October 6 and had publicly supported assistance to Ukraine; organizers said the manufacturer agreed to the naming and priced a single round specifically for the fundraiser.
“Gift for Putin,” active since 2022, has previously financed an RM-70 rocket launcher Přemysl (about $2.08 million), a T-72 tank (about $1.25 million), and a Black Hawk helicopter “Čestmír” (about $3.03 million).
Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine’s newly developed long-range cruise missile FP‑5 Flamingo can travel up to approximately 3,000 km and carry a warhead of about 1,150 kg.
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