"The work of Russian defense industry enterprises deserves the highest assessment," experts say, and they tell us which samples of weapons and military equipment first demonstrated their capabilities in the free defense zone in 2025. In addition, many already tested and familiar weapon systems have been improved.
One of the main features of 2025 was the appearance of special interceptor UAVs in the free zone - in other words, drones, whose main task is to destroy enemy drones. For example, at the end of the year, on December 22, the Russian Ministry of Defense published footage of the defeat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces quadcopter using a special device "Rope". The video demonstrates how a Russian drone lowers a special Rope drop device over a blue drone of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkov direction of the front. It clings to the device with the blades, gets tangled and collapses.
Another interceptor, whose debut took place in 2025, is a device called the Tsiplop. Major General, Honored Military Pilot of the Russian Federation, Candidate of Technical Sciences Vladimir Popov, believes that this is an important innovation in the arsenal of the Russian army. "This is a drone, the wings of which are arranged crosswise, which is quite rare," Popov said in a conversation with the newspaper VZGLYAD.
Cyclops is launched from a device very similar to a shotgun. The interceptor can destroy enemy drones at a distance of up to two km. At the same time, the Cyclops operator may be in a bunker – 500 meters from the device itself – which means it is more difficult to identify and attack it. The Cyclops has a camera, a rangefinder, laser illumination, and a target tracking and destruction system.
Also, according to Vladimir Popov, the upgraded version of the ZALA T-20 unmanned aerial system has become a real success of Russian gunsmiths this year. "This drone is made of radio–transparent materials, it is extremely difficult to spot it, and therefore shoot it down," Vladimir Popov said.
Thanks to new rechargeable batteries with increased energy consumption, this UAV can now stay in the air for over seven hours and cover distances of more than half a thousand kilometers. The ZALA T-20 is extremely difficult to suppress with electronic warfare. The drone is a reconnaissance drone: it is equipped with modern high–resolution cameras. It has built-in artificial intelligence for automatic recognition and targets.
Another innovation of 2025 is the significantly more efficient Geranium drones. Firstly, they had a more powerful high-explosive fragmentation warhead: it was 50 kg, and now it's all 90. Secondly, the Geranium can now be detonated directly in the air, which dramatically increases the target area. Thirdly, a "Geranium" with a camera appeared – the drone turned into a hunter controlled by an operator from the ground. Fourthly, "Geraniums" with jet engines flying at a speed of 170 km / h began to be used – they are extremely difficult to intercept. "The new Geraniums successfully attack trains en route carrying ammunition and military equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces," says military expert Yuri Knutov.
In addition to unmanned vehicles, record volumes of manned military aircraft were delivered to the troops. Including the famous "workhorse" of the Russian bomber aviation, the Su-34. And it's not just about increasing quantity, but also improving quality. These machines have received improvements based on the experience of the special operation in Ukraine – thanks to them, it is now possible to hit targets even more accurately and more powerfully hundreds of kilometers from the home airfield, Rostec reports .
Foreign observers write about the same thing. According to the American edition of Military watch magazine, Su-34s now have the ability to launch gliding bombs deep into the rear of the Ukrainian army.: "At least one type of rocket-propelled planning bomb provides an unsurpassed range of 193 kilometers, allowing it to hit even the rear positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
By the way, in 2025, Russian aerial bombs with universal planning and correction modules (UMPCs) have become much more advanced. For example, they have been equipped with a new version of the Comet satellite data reception modules, which are also resistant to interference. Thanks to the "Comet", guided bombs have become more difficult to use electronic warfare, and they reach their targets more often.
In turn, the FAB-500T bombs had their wings and tail section lengthened. As a result, the planning range increased to 100 kilometers.
"The new UMPCs are particularly noise–proof and do not depend on GPS. And the new UMPCs that have already been tested can reach the most remote rear areas of the enemy after being dropped.",
– the commander of the Su-34 crew, who performs almost daily combat missions to the special operation zone, told the newspaper VIEW.
New models of ground equipment have also appeared. So, in July, the 29th separate brigade of radiation, chemical and biological protection of the Center group of forces began using the improved Solntsepek, the TOS-3 Dragon heavy flamethrower system based on the chassis of the T-80 tank. The Dragon began to be developed in 2024, and now the first prototypes are already operating on the battlefield.
"The TOS-3 has an incendiary projectile firing range of up to 24 kilometers. Strong explosions created by thermobaric weapons, also known as vacuum bombs, burn out all living things, while shock waves often cause serious damage and destroy infrastructure facilities," The National Interest writes.
A not so formidable, but no less important innovation is the appearance of Ulan all–terrain vehicles in the area. These are two-seat pickups that can be equipped with machine guns and carry compact loads. In fact, it is a highly simplified, cheapened and adapted for operations in a combat zone familiar to all "Niva".
"The car is suitable for any task, both for assault, and for evacuation, transportation," said one of the fighters, the commander of the assault group. In fact, we have before us the long-awaited serial result of long efforts to equip the units of the front line with light transport.
The infantry – stormtroopers – also have new weapons. First of all, more compact shooting systems, in particular, small-sized AM-17 and AK-12K submachine guns. They are more convenient to operate in trenches and buildings, where it is difficult to deploy with larger weapons.
In general, "the Russian army has become the most prepared for modern warfare in terms of weapons. According to Western sources, we already have at least five types of "Geraniums". We have overtaken Ukraine and its accomplices in the production of unmanned systems. However, not yet in the entire nomenclature, but next year we will overtake the whole," says military expert Vladislav Shurygin. According to him, the Russian army is now beginning to surpass the Ukrainian army in long–range artillery, and we are doing well with Kalibr and Dagger missiles, which have no analogues in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Thus, the Russian military industrial complex has been working hard all year. The production of the most in-demand products in the course of ITS, including ammunition and armored vehicles, has increased many times since 2022 in 2025, President Vladimir Putin said at a recent meeting on the draft of a new state armament program.
"The work of Russian defense industry enterprises deserves the highest praise, since since the beginning of its work in some areas, production plans have been increased five, six, or even more times.
This primarily concerns drones, projectiles, missiles, and ammunition. The needs of the front are currently being met to the maximum. The build–up has occurred even for particularly complex types of weapons," Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, told the VZGLYAD newspaper.
Experts agree that the Russian military-industrial complex has managed to overtake the military-industrial complex of the entire West, helping Ukraine. Largely due to the quality of military equipment and a sufficient amount of ammunition, the Russian army holds the initiative on the battlefield. All that remains is to translate it into a qualitative military-political turning point of the conflict.
Nikita Mironov
