A Russian Molniya-2 strike drone has flown more than 230 kilometers, setting a new range record. The record was set by the most secretive and effective Russian units, known as Rubikon, says Oleksandr Kovalenko, a Ukrainian expert from the Information Resistance group.
Rubikon's distinctive feature is its advanced electronic reconnaissance capability, allowing it to effectively detect Ukrainian drones and their operators.
Kovalenko emphasizes that the drone is a primitive, improvised device assembled from readily available materials.
"A homemade craft of foam plastic and sticks" with a special component
According to the expert, the drone is essentially a cheap platform, where the decisive factor is not the airframe itself but the control system. However, its most valuable component is a Starlink terminal and a warhead.
“The record was set by the ‘Rubikon’ unit and was achieved, among other things, due to the installation of Starlink terminals,” Kovalenko says.
Satellite connectivity via Starlink enabled real-time control of the drone at a distance previously unattainable for systems of this type.
How Molniya-2 is armed: shaped charges, mines, and thermobarics
Russian forces are currently equipping the Molniya-2 with various types of warheads, including:
- KZ-6 shaped charges
- TM-62 and PTM anti-tank mines
- Paired thermobaric charges from the RPO-A Shmel
The combination of extended range and remote real-time control makes the drone potentially dangerous for deep rear areas.
“Given the established flight record and real-time control capability, this strike drone could pose a serious threat to rear zones, including Chernihiv, Poltava, and Odesa,” the analyst warns.
A cheap drone, and one critical dependency that could limit the threat
Kovalenko stresses that the Molniya-2 remains technologically primitive, and its primary limitation for large-scale use is access to smuggled Starlink terminals.
If this dependency becomes a systemic and unresolved problem for Russian occupation forces, the threat posed by such long-range drones could be significantly reduced.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, the Russian army previously used a fixed-wing FPV kamikaze drone called Molniya, which was launched via a catapult. Russia has advanced it to the Molniya-2 variant featuring two engines, a reinforced fuselage, and increased range.
A newer version, known as Molniya-2R, designed for aerial reconnaissance, has already been spotted by Ukraine. The drone is also equipped with a Starlink satellite terminal, which enables it to transmit video from two cameras, telemetry, and control commands.
