---
title: "Ukraine Shows 'Stugna-P' ATGM Downing a Drone: How an Anti-Tank Missile Became an Air Defense Weapon"
description: "The 1021st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of the Ukrainian Air Force demonstrated the downing of a Russian drone with the 'Stugna-P' ATGM. Five days earlier, the 'Luch' design bureau unveiled the new RK-2PZ air defense missile at MSPO-2026, which is already being used at the front."
date: 2026-09-16T09:22:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-stugna-p-atgm-drone-downing-rk-2pz-air-defense-missile
tags: [ukraine, stugna-p, air-defense, drones, mspo-2026, rk-2pz, luch-design-bureau, ai-homing, vsu]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukraine Shows 'Stugna-P' ATGM Downing a Drone: How an Anti-Tank Missile Became an Air Defense Weapon

![Stugna-P anti-tank missile system on a tripod mount angled upward to intercept a drone in a Ukrainian field](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/16/ukraina-stugna-p-sbitie-drona-zenitnaya-raketa-rk-2pz/ukraina-stugna-p-sbitie-drona-zenitnaya-raketa-rk-2pz-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The 1021st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of the Ukrainian Air Force showed the downing of a drone with the 'Stugna-P' ATGM on September 13, 2026
- The 'Luch' design bureau presented the RK-2PZ air defense missile (130 mm) based on the 'Barrier' complex at MSPO-2026, which is already being used at the front
- The RK-2PZ weighs 29 kg, carries a 6.1 kg fragmentation-warhead section, and has a speed of 200–220 m/s — enough for drones, but not for cruise missiles
- The number of targets destroyed with AI re-guidance in Ukraine has increased tenfold since the beginning of 2026

On September 13, 2026, the 1021st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of the Ukrainian Air Force published a video recording the destruction of a Russian strike drone using the 'Stugna-P' anti-tank complex. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing an official statement from the regiment itself. The demonstration served as clear confirmation that Ukrainian military personnel continue to actively adapt anti-tank guided missiles for air defense tasks, compensating for the shortage of specialized air defense systems amid massive UAV attacks.

### Adapting the Anti-Tank Complex for Aerial Targets

'Stugna-P' was originally developed as a fourth-generation anti-tank guided weapon intended to destroy armored vehicles. However, as combat experience and tactical needs have shown, the system possesses sufficient rate of fire, guidance accuracy, and control flexibility to be effectively employed against low-flying, slow-moving aerial targets. Personnel of the 1021st Regiment demonstrated that, with appropriate tactics of employment and a reconfiguration of the guidance mode, the missile is capable of intercepting strike drones, which have become the primary threat to rear-area facilities and troop positions. According to Focus, Ukrainian military units are already actively using upgraded 'Stugna-P' complexes equipped with GPS modules, expanding the range of missions the system can perform.

### The RK-2PZ Air Defense Missile and the MSPO-2026 Exhibition

The demonstration of 'Stugna-P' use against drones took place just five days after the 'Luch' design bureau — the developer of the complex — unveiled a fundamentally new 130 mm air defense missile, the RK-2PZ, at the MSPO-2026 international military-technical forum in Poland. This was previously reported by the 'Militarny' outlet. The missile is based on the 'Barrier' anti-tank complex and is intended for installation on 'Desna' air defense systems and the upgraded 'Strela-10'. Crucially, the RK-2PZ is already being used at the front, rather than being in a testing phase only. At the same forum, Ukrspecsystems officially presented the RAM-2X loitering munition with an X-shaped wing, which, according to the developer, has more than 400 confirmed destroyed targets.

### Technical Characteristics and Tactical Limitations

The RK-2PZ retains the control principle of the base anti-tank missile: a laser beam transmits commands to a receiver in the rear part of the warhead, and after visual acquisition of the target, the operator launches the missile, and the system guides it until the target is hit. The warhead detonates non-contactly via onboard sensor signals or upon a direct hit. The 29 kg missile carries a 6.1 kg fragmentation-warhead section. The manufacturer does not disclose exact specifications or a list of typical targets, however, it is known that the anti-tank version of the complex had a subsonic flight speed of 200–220 m/s. Such a speed is insufficient to intercept cruise missiles, but is entirely adequate to destroy slow unmanned aerial vehicles, which make up the bulk of aerial threats at the current stage of the conflict.

### Context: The Growing Role of AI Re-Guidance in Air Defense

The use of 'Stugna-P' against aerial targets fits into a broader trend previously reported by RBC-Ukraine: the number of enemy targets destroyed using AI re-guidance modules in Ukraine has increased tenfold since the beginning of 2026. Brave1 and the Main Directorate of Armaments and Military Technology of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense conducted the first large-scale joint test of automatic re-guidance modules against moving ground targets under a unified scenario. This indicates a systematic approach to integrating artificial intelligence into combat weapons systems, enabling even relatively simple anti-tank missiles to perform tasks previously reserved exclusively for specialized air defense complexes.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Military shows how the 'Stugna-P' shoots down enemy drones (video)](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/viyskovi-pokazali-k-stugna-p-zbivae-vorozhi-1789550423.html) - РБК-Украина публикует сообщение 1021-го зенитного артиллерийского полка с видеозаписью поражения дрона. Дата демонстрации — 13 сентября 2026 г. Основной факт статьи подтверждён.
- [Ukrainian troops use the fourth-generation 'Stugna-P' ATGM: what makes the system interesting (photos)](https://focus.ua/voennye-novosti/722150-ptrk-stugna-vsu-otpravlyayut-uluchshennye-kompleksy-s-gps-detali) - Focus подтверждает активное применение «Стугна-П» в составе ВСУ, включая модернизированные варианты с GPS-модулями. Контекст для раздела об адаптации комплекса.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is 'Stugna-P' and why is it used against drones?
**A:** 'Stugna-P' is a Ukrainian fourth-generation anti-tank guided weapons complex developed by the 'Luch' design bureau. Due to its high guidance accuracy and control flexibility, the system has been adapted to destroy slow, low-flying drones, as confirmed by the demonstration by the 1021st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment on September 13, 2026.

### Q: What is the RK-2PZ missile and where is it used?
**A:** The RK-2PZ is a 130 mm air defense missile created by the 'Luch' design bureau based on the 'Barrier' anti-tank complex. It is intended for 'Desna' systems and the upgraded 'Strela-10'. It weighs 29 kg and carries a 6.1 kg fragmentation-warhead section. It is already being used at the front. It was presented at MSPO-2026 in Poland.

### Q: Can the RK-2PZ shoot down cruise missiles?
**A:** No. According to available data, the missile's speed is 200–220 m/s (subsonic), which is sufficient to intercept slow drones but insufficient to destroy cruise missiles flying at significantly higher speeds.

### Q: How is the increased use of AI re-guidance related to the adaptation of 'Stugna-P'?
**A:** RBC-Ukraine reported that the number of targets destroyed using AI re-guidance in Ukraine has increased tenfold since the beginning of 2026. The adaptation of anti-tank missiles for air defense tasks is part of a general trend toward integrating automatic guidance modules into various types of weapons to expand their combat application.