Military — 2026-07-03

Former Russian Space Entrepreneur Kokorich Begins Production of Ruta Block 3 Mini-Cruise Missile With 1242-Mile Range for Ukraine and Europe

BLUFDelivery of a fielded Ruta Block 3 round before January 2027 is unlikely given flight testing has not begun, prolonging European dependence on US-sourced long-range strike systems through at least another budget cycle.

Destinus, the Dutch defense firm founded by former Russian space entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich, announced on May 18 the accelerated start of its RUTA Block 3 program, targeting a 2,000-km-class (1,242-mile) precision strike missile with flight tests planned for 2027 12Brave1 defence tech cluster involved" data-source="Ukrainska Pravda" data-url="https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/05/18/8035187/" data-rt="secondary" data-mbfc="mixed" data-otype="digital_news">3. The company said Block 3 will carry a 250-kg-class warhead powered by a new Destinus T220 turbojet engine, with autonomous navigation for GNSS-degraded environments and a standard ISO containerized launch architecture for land, sea, and fixed-site deployment 1. Production is structured across three hubs: the Netherlands as design authority and primary manufacturing site, Ukraine for testing and component production via the Brave1 defense cluster, and Germany, where Rheinmetall and Destinus plan a joint venture at Rheinmetall's Unterlüß site to deliver first missiles before the end of 2026, according to Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger 123. Jamestown Foundation reporting notes Kokorich renounced his Russian citizenship in January 2024 and that Destinus has already supplied thousands of drones and Ruta Block 1 missiles to Ukraine and European governments 4.

Analysis
Fielding a Ruta Block 3 round from Unterlüß before January 1, 2027 is unlikely, since flight testing on the 2,000-km variant has not begun and Rheinmetall's pledge of "first missiles" from that site before year-end 2026 almost certainly covers the already-serial Block 1 and testing-stage Block 2, not the T220-powered design that still needs qualification. High confidence rests on Destinus's and Rheinmetall's own published sequencing, which has placed testing before production ramp for every RUTA block to date, though sourcing otherwise leans on a single Destinus release echoed by Ukrainian outlets with only Jamestown offering independent corroboration. The accelerated-timeline announcement may double as investor messaging ahead of a planned Amsterdam IPO roadshow rather than a purely operational update. A slip past 2027 would force German and Ukrainian planners to extend costly US-sourced procurement and delay the shift toward domestic deep-strike production, while early fielding would let them cut near-term Tomahawk and Taurus requests.

4 sources