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Meet Ruta Block 2—Ukraine’s Silent Long-Range Answer to Russian Air Defenses
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A new version of Ukraine’s domestically deployed cruise missile, known as Ruta Block 2, has been officially unveiled by its developer Destinus, offering substantial upgrades over the original variant in range, stealth, payload, and guidance systems.
According to Defense Express on January 14, 2026, the missile was presented directly by Destinus, a European aerospace company with headquarters in the Netherlands.
The company, originally founded by Russian-born entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich, shared new imagery and specifications of the missile through its official communication channels.
Ruta Block 2 marks a significant evolution from the earlier Ruta design, which was initially described as a loitering munition or “missile-drone.” The updated missile now falls clearly within the category of modern cruise missiles, incorporating:
Range: Over 450 km
Warhead Weight: Exceeding 250 kg
Guidance: Multimode terminal navigation powered by artificial intelligence
Stealth Features: Refined fuselage shape with reduced radar signature
Deployment: Collapsible wings enable launch from containerized platforms or aircraft
Imagery suggests the nose of the missile likely includes an infrared or electro-optical seeker for precision targeting during the final phase of flight—a design principle found in Western systems such as Storm Shadow or SCALP-EG.
The developer also confirmed integration with two key Western technologies:
Navigation: GPS- and EW-resistant system from Spain’s UAV Navigation, part of Grupo Oesía
AI Core: Hivemind combat AI from US-based Shield AI, as announced in late 2025
Defense Express notes that Ruta has already been used in Ukrainian operations against targets in Russia, with the missile’s first reported deployment by the Ukrainian Defense Forces dating back to December 2024. However, details on its use have remained limited.
The previous version of Ruta was publicly showcased at the FEINDEF 2025 exhibition in Madrid, where it was described as weighing approximately 300 kg, with a wingspan of 2.25 meters and a length of 3.93 meters.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Ruta cruise missile was fitted with a Spanish-developed navigation system designed to resist GPS jamming and spoofing. Developed by UAV Navigation, part of Grupo Oesía, the system enables autonomous operation in GPS-denied environments and supports coordinated swarm attacks.
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
