UKR: Inside Russia’s Rubicon unit hunting Ukrainians

BLUF: A shortage of Ukrainian military personnel, faced with the Russian Rubicon unit's almost unlimited resources, is a formidable challenge on the frontlines.

Export control reforms: the MoD will soon collect requests from the military for particular weapons, then compare them with budget capabilities to determine whether surplus production can be exported abroad.

MPs are proposing an expansion of benefits for defense producers that would allow the import of components to modernize existing weapons.

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The Russian military has taken an unconventional approach to drone warfare. They've established a decentralized center of unmanned technologies with unlimited funding and a focus on innovation.

Russia’s Rubicon center is one of the greatest threats facing the Ukrainian military, and they have the advantage of better funding and more resources. Founded in August 2024, the unit formally known as the Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies has grown rapidly and is influencing Russian advances on the front line. 

The center is built around the most effective drone operators and cutting-edge innovations, as evidenced by their ability to push Ukrainian troops out of the Kursk region last year using the first large-scale deployment of fiber optic drones.

They have focused on severing Ukrainian logistics, making it impossible for Kyiv to reinforce troops, while Russian forces then attack and gain more ground. 

"The first warning bell was Kursk. They drove out [Ukrainian forces] purely with Rubicon. Now it's Kupiansk and Pokrovsk... They're developing very quickly, and in six months they could be completely different," Andrii Onistrat, a drone company commander, said at a MITS Capital event recently.

Rubicon doesn't have the traditional hierarchy found in other regular Russian military units, meaning they don't depend on orders being passed down through the chain of command. 

The uncharacteristic structure of Rubicon provides room for innovation and rapid scaling of successful solutions. Members of the elite unit then train adjacent units and spread the latest innovations and techniques. And since the Kursk operation, Rubicon has relentlessly targeted Ukrainian logistics.

This state-sponsored, airborne hunting squad is also rapidly expanding. According to Russian media, 500 drone operators and 100 instructors are trained through Rubicon each month.

"First, 'wings' [drones] learn our logistics routes, identify positions, and pass information to 'strikers' [units with kamikaze drones] who then engage these targets. They understand the importance of logistics — the entire front line depends on it — so that's what they focus on," said Danylo ‘Kultura’ Mireshkyn, an officer with the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov.

Recently, Rubicon's Telegram channel also published statistics on 10,000 targets it says have been destroyed since the center’s founding in August 2024. Of these:

The Arsenal is unable to verify these claims. But it is clear that the unit is having an effect on the battlefield.

The presence of Russia’s hunting bombers leads Ukrainian operators to reduce the number of sorties or suspend operations entirely when a Rubicon unit with interceptors appears at the position, said a representative from Dronesquad, which produces Fury Pro bombers.

From 2024 to 2025, one Ukrainian drone crew carried out a record 331 operations on a single drone. Now, due to Russian hunting, one bomber completes an average of 40-50 operations, the Dronesquad representative said.

Rubicon uses all available drones:

In addition to ground assets, Rubicon also has naval drones. They also rely on Chinese supplies of spare parts, Utopich, a Ukrainian drone operator, told The Arsenal, identifying himself only by his call sign for security reasons. 

While Shaheds are typically used against targets deep in Ukrainian rear areas, Rubicon uses them for strikes closer to the frontlines as well.

‘Kultura’ from Azov believes Ukraine, first and foremost, must achieve parity in fiber optic drones. Brigades should also select the most effective manufacturers to avoid poor-quality drone supplies, he said.

Hunting Russian drone operators is another option, according to Jack, a company commander in a brigade on the Pokrovsk axis (read our deep dive on this topic.) 

While the Ukrainian military can’t afford to concentrate on Rubicon in particular due to a shortage of military personnel, Ukrainian operators should step up attacks on Russian troops, Utopich said.

There’s also the matter of protecting logistics, which right now is achieved by having Ukrainian soldiers with shotguns shooting down Russian drones, including fiber optic ones.

But in order for this to be effective, it’s crucial to train operators, choose the right shotgun, and ammunition with an appropriate pellet diameter, a Ukrainian Special Operations Forces officer told The Arsenal. He spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Also, Ukrainian special units in the military intelligence, army, and SBU have targeted Rubicon’s storage facilities inside Russia and on temporarily occupied territories.

Ukrainian drone operators are also changing their tactics.

"Over the last three months, Russian interceptors have been a major problem... Our guys are changing tactics: either flying very high or very fast," said the Fury Pro representative. Sometimes speeds reach 130 km/h, which is extremely high for bombers, which complicates its control.

Ukraine is also scaling up its Unmanned Systems Forces, which is set to comprise 5 percent of the entire army. A recruitment drive for 15,000 people was announced last month.

Ukraine maintains a ranking of its best drone units. In October 2025, the most effective unit was the 414th Brigade, Madyar's Birds, with a score of 52,475 points. Points are awarded based on the number of enemy targets destroyed. 

Other top units include:

Since the beginning of the month, 251 Russian drone launch points and 266 antennas have been destroyed.

In over a year, we’ve accumulated more than 2,700 subscribers focused on Ukrainian battlefield innovation. This includes Western primes, defense companies, allied governments, and Ukrainian startups. Want your messaging to target this highly-sought-after demographic?

One of the key questions surrounding the relaunch of exports has been how exactly surplus production will be assessed. The Ministry of Defense was designated as the state body responsible for evaluating surplus production, according to Oleg Tsilvik, acting head of the State Service for Export Control (SSEC).

The newly-approved procedure will look like this:

If the state cannot purchase everything a company can produce, the company can apply for export authorization. The relevant permit can then be obtained within 90 days.

The Ministry of Finance and other government agencies are working to develop additional taxes on export, Ihor Fedirko, CEO of the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry, told Counteroffensive.Pro.

Lawmakers have moved to expand benefits for defense producers to allow the import of components to upgrade drones under a simplified customs procedure. Draft laws №14169 and №14170 have been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada.

Currently, tax and customs exemptions only apply to the repair and production of unmanned systems. Lawmakers have proposed extending this to the modernization of existing drones as well.

The new benefits also cover combat simulators, electronic warfare systems, and other defense equipment.

"The goal is to reduce production costs, unlock resources for defense enterprises, and speed up the delivery of modern equipment," said Danylo Hetmantsev, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy.

The draft law will be considered in the Verkhovna Rada after the committee offers its recommendations. 

Commonly used barrel-protection technology involves chrome plating, but this is toxic and wears out quickly. Paradigm Shift Technologies, which produces coating solutions, including for the defense sector, has developed an environmentally friendly coating for artillery barrels.

The EPVD technology uses sustainable, non-toxic alloy coatings instead of chrome. This method enhances firing accuracy and extends barrel life, said Eugene Yumshtyk, COO of the company. 

Ukraine has already started sending artillery barrels to the company’s factory in Toronto for treatment. In the future, production is planned to be set up in Ukraine to reduce logistics costs and enable local manufacturing.

Ukrainian orders/legislation we’re tracking: 

By: Oksana Zabolotna

Criteria for Determining Strategic Defense, Aviation, and Space Enterprises

Order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine №722 of October 28, 2025

Why it’s important: The order of the Ministry of Defense establishes a unified mechanism to identify enterprises, institutions, and organizations in the defense-industrial complex, aviation, and space sectors that are vital to Ukraine’s national economy. 

This status is crucial for maintaining uninterrupted defense production, accessing state support mechanisms, and — most importantly — enabling the reservation of essential personnel during mobilization and wartime. 

Proposals: 

Stage: Entered into force on November 3, 2025. 

Initiator: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. 

What’s next: Implementation of the resolution.

SKIFTECH is a full-cycle Ukrainian manufacturer with 12 years of experience in the market. Their specialists develop tactical simulators from concept to fully functional technical solutions, ensuring maximum immersion in combat conditions.

Their solution recreates real interceptions without physical contact using two mounted modules: a target module that simulates detonation, and an interceptor module that logs parameters, together with control software that measures distance and triggers a virtual detonation. The result is safe, repeatable training that cuts costs by about $500 per flight and makes interceptor training feasible for smaller units. 

The company is seeking foreign mentorship to improve its production. 

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