UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Jul. 10 — Since late March, Ukrainian forces have been recording increased activity of the Russian elite drone unit Rubicon in the Kharkiv region, said Dmytro Batinov, the head of the center for unmanned systems, to Ukrainian Radio Kharkiv.

Rubicon has been operating in the Kharkiv region at least since Oct. 5, 2025.

According to Batinov, Rubicon consists of well-trained drone operators. The unit works in both the northern and eastern parts of the region.

He said that Rubicon mostly launches drones from areas south of Belgorod. The majority of launches take place from Russian territory.

“We know about them and are countering them, targeting their pilots in particular. But I wouldn’t demonize this unit. In fact, its size is quite limited,” Batinov said.

Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson for a military group responsible for the Kharkiv oblast, told Gwara Media that the operators in the Rubicon unit “are more a marketing story.”

He noted that the unit used to test innovative drones, which is why they selected the best people for it and provided them with maximum resources. Now they don’t have those capabilities, so “they’re just ordinary Russian drone operators.”

Read more

  • Ukrainian airstrikes disable over 30% of Russia’s operating oil-refinery capacity, Financial Times reports

This summer, Russia bombs Kharkiv as much as it can, and our newsroom keeps working despite it all. If you want to support us amidst it all, please consider buying us a $5 coffee or subscribing to our community long-term.