2014 Russia-Ukraine War

RK-3 Corsar in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

Ukrainian forces used the RK-3 Corsar as a short-range anti-tank guided missile in the Donbas front and during the full-scale Russian invasion, with documented launches against Russian-backed positions and Russian armored vehicles.

Weapon profileRK-3 Corsar
SideUkraineRoleAnti-ArmorFire Support
RK-3 Corsar, Portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: Korsar ATGM, Kyiv 2019, 02.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Ukrainian servicemen operated a Corsar from the Svitlodarsk bulge toward Russian-backed separatist positions near Lozove in 2019.

Sources: DFRLab MinskMonitor Corsar

Ukrainian National Guard OMEGA personnel used a Corsar against a Russian IFV near Velyka Komyshuvakha in May 2022.

Sources: Defense Express Velyka Komyshuvakha IFV

Ukrainian National Guard footage showed a Corsar engagement against a Russian vehicle column at about 2.5 km in June 2022 reporting.

Sources: Defense Express Corsar Guerilla ATGM

Corsar's documented role in this conflict matches its short-range anti-armor and point-target design: a 107 mm portable system with 2,500 m maximum range and anti-armor or fragmentation missile options.

Sources: Luch Corsar Product Page

Timeline

RK-3 Corsar In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. Accepted for Ukrainian service

    Ukrainian Military Pages reported that Corsar had been accepted into Armed Forces of Ukraine service and that initial missiles were already in the troops.

    Sources: Corsar Accepted Into Ukrainian Service

  2. Geolocated Donbas-front launch documented

    DFRLab reported Ukrainian servicemen operating a Corsar in the Svitlodarsk bulge and geolocated the firing direction toward Russian-backed separatist positions near Lozove.

    Sources: DFRLab MinskMonitor Corsar

  3. Velyka Komyshuvakha IFV engagement reported

    Defense Express reported that Kyivan OMEGA Special Unit personnel of Ukraine's National Guard destroyed a Russian infantry fighting vehicle near Velyka Komyshuvakha with a Corsar shot from more than 2 km.

    Sources: Defense Express Velyka Komyshuvakha IFV

  4. 2.5 km column engagement described

    Defense Express described National Guard footage of a Ukrainian serviceman using a Corsar against a Russian vehicle column about 2.5 km from the firing position.

    Sources: Defense Express Corsar Guerilla ATGM

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The RK-3 Corsar is documented in Ukrainian use during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through open-source geolocation and battlefield reporting. In March 2019, DFRLab reported that Ukrainian servicemen operated a Corsar in the Svitlodarsk bulge and geolocated the firing direction toward Russian-backed separatist positions near Lozove.

During the 2022 full-scale invasion phase, Defense Express reported Corsar use by Ukrainian National Guard OMEGA personnel against a Russian infantry fighting vehicle near Velyka Komyshuvakha, Kharkiv region. A later Defense Express account described National Guard footage of a Ukrainian serviceman using a Corsar against a Russian vehicle column about 2.5 km from the firing position.

Sources: DFRLab MinskMonitor Corsar, Defense Express Velyka Komyshuvakha IFV, Defense Express Corsar Guerilla ATGM

Timeline

The Corsar entered Ukrainian service before the open-source conflict-use record available for this page. Ukrainian Military Pages reported its acceptance into Armed Forces of Ukraine service in August 2017, while DFRLab later identified one of its first documented battlefield employments in March 2019 on the Donbas front.

The full-scale invasion added clearer video-linked reports of Corsar use against Russian vehicles. Defense Express reported the Velyka Komyshuvakha IFV engagement on May 7, 2022, and published the 2.5 km column-engagement account on June 6, 2022.

Sources: Corsar Accepted Into Ukrainian Service, DFRLab MinskMonitor Corsar, Defense Express Velyka Komyshuvakha IFV, Defense Express Corsar Guerilla ATGM

Narrative

Corsar filled a domestic Ukrainian short-range ATGM role alongside heavier Luch systems such as Skif/Stugna-P. The manufacturer describes Corsar as a 107 mm portable laser-beam guided missile system with a maximum range of 2,500 m and RK-3K tandem hollow-charge or RK-3OF high-explosive fragmentation missile options.

In the pre-2022 Donbas phase, DFRLab's documented example placed the system in the static trench environment of the Svitlodarsk bulge, where the reported target area was Russian-backed separatist positions near Lozove. The source treated the video as an example of active Ukrainian ATGM use on the eastern front rather than as a confirmed vehicle kill.

In 2022 reporting, Corsar appeared as an infantry-portable anti-armor weapon used by Ukrainian units against Russian vehicles. Defense Express attributed the Velyka Komyshuvakha shot to National Guard OMEGA personnel and described the separate 2.5 km engagement as National Guard footage of a serviceman firing at a Russian vehicle column near the limit of Corsar's stated range.

Sources: Luch Corsar Product Page, DFRLab MinskMonitor Corsar, Defense Express Velyka Komyshuvakha IFV, Defense Express Corsar Guerilla ATGM

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Sources