Infantry Weapons

RPG-22

The RPG-22 Netto is a Soviet disposable anti-tank rocket launcher developed as a larger-caliber successor to the RPG-18, firing a 72.5 mm PG-22 HEAT rocket from a telescoping fiberglass launch tube. Its light single-shot format made it a common short-range infantry anti-armor weapon in Soviet and post-Soviet stocks, and ARES documented an RPG-22 among weapons seized from alleged Russian saboteurs during the opening days of Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine WarRussia

Conflict side: Russia
Built by: BazaltVMZ Sopot
Built in: Soviet UnionRussiaBulgaria

RPG-22, Disposable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons

Profile

Type: Disposable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher
Conflict side: Russia
Origin: Soviet Union
Service note: Late Cold War design, retained in post-Soviet inventories

portable anti-tank rocket launcherheat

Service History

In service: Adopted by Soviet forces around 1980 and retained in former Soviet inventories
Used by: Russian forces
Wars: Russia-Ukraine War

Production History

Designer: Bazalt
Designed: Late 1970s
Built by: BazaltVMZ Sopot
Built in: Soviet UnionRussiaBulgaria
Produced: About 1980-1993 in Soviet/Russian production; licensed Bulgarian production by VMZ Sopot
Variants: RPG-22 Netto, PG-22 HEAT rocket

Specifications

Crew: 1
Caliber: 72.5 mm
Armament: Single PG-22 HEAT rocket in a disposable launcher
Weight: 2.7-2.8 kg loaded
Length: 785 mm transport configuration; 850 mm ready to fire
Muzzle velocity: 133 m/s
Effective range: About 150-200 m
Armor penetration: About 400 mm rolled homogeneous armor

Conflict Usage

Russia-Ukraine War: Side: Russia
Documented in the full-scale invasion when Ukrainian authorities seized an RPG-22 shoulder-fired anti-tank launcher from alleged Russian saboteurs in Odessa on 27 February 2022.

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Sources

RPG-22 NetoPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports Soviet origin, Bazalt development/production background, disposable launcher role, and technical specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 RPG-22 Rocket Anti-Tank Grenade with PG-22 Anti-Tank GrenadePublisher: VMZ Sopot | Note: Supports current Bulgarian manufacturer context and published RPG-22 specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Weapons & Equipment Seized from Alleged Russian Saboteurs in Ukraine (2022)Publisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War context by documenting an RPG-22 seized from alleged Russian saboteurs in Odessa on 27 February 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 RPG-22 Rocket LauncherPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance source; Commons identifies the file as a U.S. Army public-domain work. | Accessed: 2026-06-20