Direct proof of use
The RTB-7MA is documented in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through reporting on Ukrainian troops around Bakhmut. Militarnyi reported on March 7, 2023 that soldiers of Ukraine's 241st Territorial Defense Brigade used Bulgarian-made RTB-7MA thermobaric ammunition with RPG-7 launchers during fighting on the city's outskirts.
A Novinite-republished account of the same episode described social-media video showing soldiers from the 241st Territorial Defense Brigade using Bulgarian RTB-7MA thermobaric grenades for an RPG-7 launcher. These reports support Ukrainian battlefield use of the round in the Bakhmut sector, while they do not establish a complete delivery chain or the total quantity supplied.
Sources: Militarnyi RTB-7MA Bakhmut, Novinite RTB-7MA 241st Brigade
Timeline
The clearest dated use report is March 7, 2023, during the battle for Bakhmut. The report identified the operator as Ukraine's 241st Territorial Defense Brigade and placed the firing on the outskirts of Bakhmut rather than in a general rear-area possession context.
The Bakhmut setting matters for the role assigned here. A U.S. Army article on the battle describes the fighting as running from August 2022 to May 2023 and developing into a close, infantry-heavy battle for urban and trench positions. The RTB-7MA evidence fits that period but supports only the specific documented Ukrainian use episode and associated ammunition role.
Sources: Militarnyi RTB-7MA Bakhmut, U.S. Army Bakhmut Article
Battlefield role
In this conflict record, the RTB-7MA is best supported as a Ukrainian close-range thermobaric fire-support round for RPG-7-family launchers. Bulcomer's product data describes the 40/106 mm RTB-7MA with GTB-7MA thermobaric grenade as an improved round for the RPG-7V, intended against personnel in the open, field shelters, battlefield fortifications, reinforced buildings, light armored vehicles, and automobiles.
That manufacturer-described target set aligns with the reported Bakhmut use as a fire-support munition rather than as a stand-alone launcher or anti-armor system. The available public reporting supports Ukrainian firing of RTB-7MA rounds near Bakhmut; it does not by itself verify individual strike results, casualty claims, or a broader inventory count.
Sources: Bulcomer 40mm RTB-7MA, Militarnyi RTB-7MA Bakhmut
