Kalashnikov's Kub-10ME loitering munition ‘soon to appear on frontline'
Image of Kalashnikov Group's Kub-10ME loitering munition shared by the Russian state company on 22 May 2026. (Kalashnikov Group)
Kalashnikov Group's Kub-10ME fixed-wing loitering munition will “soon appear on the frontline” in Ukraine, Kalashnikov Group CEO Alan Lushnikov told Russia's state news agency TASS on 9 August 2026.
Russia's state-owned Kalashnikov Group claims the Kub-10ME loitering munition has a range of more than 100 km, an artificial intelligence (AI)-supported homing seeker, and a warhead weighing around 10 kg, according to the 9 August TASS report that cites Lushnikov. The Kub-10ME is paired with Kalashnikov's Skat 350M reconnaissance and relay unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), according to Lushnikov. It is unclear whether Kub-10ME requires the Skat 350M UAV to work as a communications relay for the loitering munition to reach a target more than 100 km away. The Skat 350M can reach a speed of up to 120 km/h, has a flight time of up to four hours, and a range of up to 100 km, according to Defence Intelligence of Ukraine website War and Sanctions.
A 31-second video accompanying the TASS article appears to show only the front half of the loitering munition. The tail section of the Kub-10ME that would include the propulsion system was not revealed in the video published on 9 August. However, images shared by Kalashnikov and a video from TASS from May 2026 appear to show Kub-10ME equipped with a two-cylinder piston engine.
Kalashnikov first unveiled its Kub-10ME loitering munition in a social media post on 22 May 2026. At the time, the Russian company said the loitering munition is capable of carrying out missions at an altitude ranging between 80 and 1,800 m. Its cruising speed was reported as 120 km/h.
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