Profile
- Type
- Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
- Conflict side
- RussiaUkraine-linked armed formations
- Origin
- Soviet Union / Russia
- Service note
- Introduced in the late Cold War and still marketed for infantry use
Infantry Weapons
RPG-26
The RPG-26 is a Soviet-designed disposable 72.5 mm anti-tank rocket launcher built around a single HEAT rocket in a sealed launch tube. Its low carried weight, simple pre-fire procedure, and short-range armor and fortification defeat role made it a common infantry anti-armor weapon, with documented circulation in the Russia-Ukraine War.
- Conflict side
- RussiaUkraine-linked armed formations
- Built by
- NPO Bazalt
- Built in
- Russia
Service History
- In service
- 1985-present
- Used by
- Russian forces, Ukraine-linked armed formations
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- NPO Bazalt
- Designed
- 1980s
- Built by
- NPO Bazalt
- Built in
- Russia
- Produced
- 1985-present
- Variants
- RShG-2 thermobaric derivative
Specifications
- Caliber
- 72.5 mm
- Warhead
- Single HEAT shaped-charge rocket
- Weight
- 2.9 kg loaded
- Sighting range
- 250 m
- Armor penetration
- At least 0.44 m of homogeneous armor
- Fortification penetration
- Up to 1 m reinforced concrete, 1.5 m brick, or 2.4 m log-and-soil cover
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: RussiaUkraine-linked armed formations
Documented among shoulder-fired anti-armor weapons circulating in eastern Ukraine, including recovered RPG-26 launchers examined in Ukraine-focused arms-tracing reporting.
Related Weapon Systems
RPG-18Disposable anti-tank rocket launcherThe RPG-18 Mukha is a Soviet disposable, shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher built around a telescoping launch tube and a 64 mm PG-18 HEAT rocket. It gives small infantry teams a lightweight short-range anti-armor weapon, and in Ukraine it appears both as a carried legacy launcher and as an improvised payload on FPV drones.
RPG-22Disposable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherThe 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._(cropped)_RPG-27.jpg?width=480)
RPG-27 TavolgaDisposable anti-tank rocket launcherThe RPG-27 Tavolga is a Soviet/Russian disposable 105 mm anti-tank rocket launcher built around a tandem HEAT warhead for defeating ERA-protected armor and field fortifications. It is heavier than earlier RPG-26-class disposable launchers but remains portable by one soldier, and open reporting documented its use by Russian-backed forces against Ukrainian positions in Donbas during the Russia-Ukraine War.
RPG-29Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherThe RPG-29 Vampir is a Soviet-designed, reusable 105 mm anti-tank rocket launcher built around tandem HEAT and thermobaric rockets. Its long launch tube, optical sight, and PG-29V tandem warhead give infantry a portable short-range weapon intended to attack armored vehicles and fortifications, and ARES documentation places the system in the Russia-Ukraine War's 2014 eastern Ukraine fighting.
RPG-32Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherThe RPG-32 is a Russian-designed, Jordan-assembled reusable anti-tank rocket launcher built around a compact firing unit and disposable launch containers. It can fire 105 mm anti-tank and thermobaric rounds, giving small units a portable close-range weapon against armor, field fortifications, buildings, and personnel in cover. Open-source reporting placed Jordanian Nashshab-marked RPG-32 launchers in Ukrainian hands during the Russia-Ukraine War, with the exact delivery channel remaining unclear.
9K111 FagotMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K111 Fagot, known to NATO as the AT-4 Spigot, is a Soviet man-portable SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile system built around the 9P135 tripod launcher and 9M111 missile family. Its compact launcher, vehicle-mount compatibility, and 2 to 2.5 km range kept it relevant for legacy users, including Russian anti-tank teams documented in the Russia-Ukraine War.Sources
RPG-26Publisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Official product page supporting launcher role, HEAT warhead, caliber, weight, range, and penetration specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20RPG-26 Aglen Russian Anti-Tank Rocket LauncherPublisher: U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command ODIN | Note: Reference entry supporting system background, Bazalt design/manufacturer context, and effective-range description. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Weapons of the War in UkrainePublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War context for recovered weapons and ammunition in Donetsk and Luhansk, including RPG-26 launchers documented in the report. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine, 2014Publisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Direct conflict-use source for RPG-26 documentation in the 2014 Ukraine conflict report. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:Rpg-26.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the RPG-26 photo, listed as own work under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. | Accessed: 2026-06-20