Stugna-P
Ukraine's home-built tank-killer — a tripod ATGM with one defining trick: the crew fires it by cable from up to 50 m away, in cover, while the launcher sits exposed. Cheaper than a Javelin, it became famous for killing tanks and, on video, shooting down Russian helicopters.
Ukraine's home-built tank-killer — a tripod-mounted anti-tank guided missile with one defining trick: the crew fires it by cable from up to 50 metres away, hidden in a building or trench, while the launcher sits exposed in the open. Cheaper than a Javelin and made with zero Russian content, it became one of the signature weapons of the war — famous for gutting Russian armour and, on viral video, shooting down Russian helicopters.
Overview
The Stugna-P (Стугна-П; export name Skif, "Scythian") is Ukraine's domestically built man-portable anti-tank guided missile, designed by the Luch Design Bureau in Kyiv. It is a second-generation, laser-beam-riding (SACLOS) system firing a tandem-shaped-charge missile that defeats explosive reactive armour — but its signature feature is the PDU-215 laptop-style remote control that lets the crew operate the launcher from up to 50 m away on a cable, firing from cover while the tripod sits in the open. That crew-survivability trick, plus a low price and full domestic production, made it one of the most-used Ukrainian weapons of the 2022 war. One precision point to get right: despite a widespread "fire-and-forget" label, the Stugna-P is not a true seeker weapon like the Javelin — it is an automated laser-beam-rider that needs the operator to keep the sight on the target until impact.
Development
The Stugna-P was designed by Luch (part of UkrOboronProm) in the early 2010s and inducted around 2011, then blooded in the Donbas from 2014. It came into its own after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion, when domestic production and a low price made it a frontline staple. Luch has continued to iterate — an upgraded "Skif-M" was delivered in September 2023, and Ukrainian forces have introduced further improved versions. (A joint Ukraine-Poland lightweight ATGM, "Pirat," was reported but possibly abandoned in late 2025.)
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