At the beginning of this year, soldiers from the 117th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shared a video compiling several interceptions of Russian drones. Among them was a new model: the Russian “KUB-2” drone. Russia reportedly plans to showcase this drone at the IDEX 2025 arms exhibition, scheduled for February in Abu Dhabi.
The “KUB-2” kamikaze drones have only recently entered production by the Russian “Kalashnikov Concern,” in collaboration with the “Izhevsk Unmanned Systems” research and production organization. According to Russian sources, the drone is still undergoing field testing. In the shared video, this UAV – destroyed at the very start – was initially misidentified as a “Lancet.”
Several details suggest that this is indeed a new Russian drone. The UAV features a different aerodynamic design with a dual-wing “biplane” configuration, as well as an altered placement for the air pressure sensor and other body components.
Manufacturers have disclosed that the “KUB-2” carries a warhead weighing 10 kilograms, which is nearly the only confirmed specification. They note that the warhead comes in two variants. One is designed to target personnel and unarmored vehicles, indicating a fragmentation payload. The second variant is reportedly capable of striking lightly armored vehicles, UAV launch sites, and helicopter landing pads. This unusual list of targets for the second warhead type suggests it could be cluster-based.
Russian sources also claim that the “KUB-2” drone can operate both during the day and at night, suggesting it is likely equipped with a thermal imaging camera. The operational range of this new UAV remains unknown. However, it’s worth noting that earlier “KUB” kamikaze drones from Kalashnikov were used in conjunction with the “Granat-4” reconnaissance drone, which also acted as a signal relay. These earlier models had smaller warheads and lacked onboard cameras.
The new “KUB-2” falls into the same category as the “Lancet” drone and could become its direct competitor, offering a larger warhead as a potential advantage.
Source: defence-ua
