Profile
- Type
- Disposable shoulder-fired thermobaric rocket launcher
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Origin
- Soviet Union / Russia
- Service note
- Late Cold War to present
Infantry Weapons
RPO-A Shmel
The RPO-A Shmel is a Soviet-designed, Russian-produced disposable infantry rocket launcher built around a 93 mm thermobaric round for attacking troops, firing points, light vehicles, and fortified positions at short range. Although Russian doctrine classifies it as a rocket-assisted flamethrower, its battlefield effect comes from a fuel-air explosive warhead rather than a projected liquid flame, making it relevant to documented Russian close-assault firepower in the Russia-Ukraine War.
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Built by
- KBP Instrument Design Bureau
- Built in
- Russia
Service History
- In service
- Late 1980s-present
- Used by
- Russian Armed Forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- KBP Instrument Design Bureau
- Designed
- 1980s
- Built by
- KBP Instrument Design Bureau
- Built in
- Russia
- Produced
- Late 1980s-present
- Variants
- RPO-A thermobaric, RPO-Z incendiary, RPO-D smoke
Specifications
- Caliber
- 93 mm
- Launch configuration
- Single-shot disposable launch tube
- Warhead
- Thermobaric fuel-air explosive rocket
- Weight
- About 11-12 kg complete
- Length
- About 920 mm
- Maximum range
- About 1,000 m
- Effective range
- About 200 m against point targets; sighting range often cited around 600 m
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Russia
Documented with Russian forces in Ukraine as a shoulder-fired thermobaric weapon, including reported use by Russian assault and flamethrower units against Ukrainian fortified positions near Kupyansk in April 2024.
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.
RPG-26Disposable anti-tank rocket launcherThe 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._(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.Sources
RPO-A Shmel Russian 93mm Disposable Rocket LauncherPublisher: U.S. Army ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide | Note: Supports general identification, role, manufacturer context, and core specifications for the 93 mm disposable RPO-A Shmel. | Accessed: 2026-06-20RPO-A "Schmel" Rocket-Propelled Flame-ThrowerPublisher: Modern Firearms | Note: Supports RPO-A caliber, length, complete weight, range figures, and description as a disposable thermobaric shoulder weapon. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Russian GM-94 Thermobaric Grenade Launcher Documented in Ukraine (2022)Publisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports direct Russia-Ukraine War context by noting ARES monitoring of RPO-A Shmel shoulder-fired thermobaric weapons deployed by Russian forces in Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Russian Forces Use RPO-A Shmel Destructive Man-Portable Weapons Against Ukrainian PositionsPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the April 2024 Russia-Ukraine War usage note for Russian units using RPO-A Shmel weapons against Ukrainian positions near Kupyansk. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:RPO-A Missile and Launcher.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for the selected RPO-A launcher and rocket image, marked as public domain as a work of the U.S. federal government. | Accessed: 2026-06-20