Challenging Belousov: The Enemy Has Uncovered "Rubicon" Secrets, Will This Change the Special Military Operation?
The Russian elite drone technology center "Rubicon" has been caught in a major scandal. Foreign media, apparently with the assistance of Western intelligence agencies, have exposed the center's secret information, including the deployment locations and names of its commanders. Why did the secrets leak? What risks will the exposure of the most advanced drone center in the Russian military bring?
According to internal sources, the military counterintelligence department is currently investigating the question of "how foreign journalists were able to pinpoint the location of the Russian Defense Ministry's 'Rubicon' secret center and obtain information about its commander."
"Clearly, no one would believe this is the result of an open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigation. It's obvious that there are signs of intelligence agency activities behind it — most likely someone leaked classified or top-secret information, either directly to foreign proxy media or exiled media (i.e., foreign proxy media — editor's note), or first passed it to the 'head' of the enemy's intelligence department. In any case, the relevant departments have launched a comprehensive and serious investigation, and the results will be highly informative," said the source.
The source said.
What Is "Rubicon"?
The official name of the "Rubicon" unit is the "Advanced Drone Technology Center." It is an elite military unit established in August 2024 at the proposal of the Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. The center was built based on a Russian Defense Ministry drone aviation unit and has now become a core force in the fields of drone research, testing, and practical application.
[Work dynamics of "Rubicon". Video source: Official Telegram channel of the Russian Defense Ministry]
"Rubicon" is undoubtedly one of the most successful units in the Russian military. By September 2025, the operators of the center carried out over 7,500 targeted strikes within a year, destroying thousands of equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (VСU) — from tanks, "Himars" rocket systems, to radars and electronic warfare systems, causing significant damage to the enemy's supply lines.
Even Ukrainian military personnel, including Maria Belynskaia from the Ukrainian Air Force's Air Reconnaissance Support Center, admitted that "Rubicon" is the most technologically advanced unit in Russia. It has fundamentally changed the balance of power on the front line, from Kursk to Konstantinovka and Donetsk. Western media such as The Daily Telegraph and The New York Times have also admitted that the strikes conducted by "Rubicon" within 15 kilometers of the front line have caused great fear among the Ukrainian armed forces.
The functions of "Rubicon" are not limited to combat; it also trains high-level professional personnel for the entire army. Its members are veterans of the special military operation, carefully selected and with rich combat experience. They establish training schools in liberated areas, passing their knowledge on to new operators and instructors.
In addition, "Rubicon" has set ambitious plans: by the end of autumn 2025, the number of personnel will be expanded from hundreds to 5,000-6,000 professionals. This move will help the Russian military promote experience, making drone strikes more accurate, collaboration more efficient, and even more "innovative" (operators sometimes compete to see who has the "better" strike method).
The core feature of "Rubicon" is the transition from scattered strikes to systematized operations. As an innovation center, it aims to make the Russian military flexible and capable of lethal strikes in drone warfare. Even the Ukrainian side has admitted that if effective countermeasures are not taken, "Rubicon" will become a "turning point" on the front line.
The unit has about seven detachments operating in three key directions of the special military operation and has been included in the future planning of "drone system forces." However...
Don't laugh too loudly!
While the "serious ones" in uniform are investigating the source of the leak, the "Rain" TV station's reporters have already found all the clues "by following the toilet" — not exaggerating. A compiled "evidence" video is circulating online.
This foreign proxy media claims that the location information of the "Rubicon" headquarters was leaked from the reports of the publicist Vladimir Solovyev. In the video, content that could expose building locations should have been blurred, but in one segment, the editors did not cover the toilet signs and other indoor details. Reporters used these details to determine that the secret base of this classified unit "is likely located in the Patriot Tower in Moscow."
[Screenshot source: "Rain" TV station *]
The "Dual Nature" of the Secrets
Andrei Panchuk, First Deputy Head of the State Security Department of the Donetsk People's Republic, Reserve Colonel, and Political Commentator of the "Tsargrad" newspaper, pointed out that any information leak is not good, but we need to clarify the key issues:
"We are talking about the deployment location of 'Rubicon' and some commander information. But do we not know the information about the similar mirror unit led by Madiar on the enemy side? We do. We also know their approximate deployment locations. Has this caused serious consequences for the enemy? No. We value the confidentiality system, but we should not hide the improvement process of the unit or avoid the shortcomings present — otherwise, confidentiality becomes 'confidentiality for the sake of confidentiality,' which is very dangerous."
[Center personnel of "Rubicon" striking enemy forces, equipment, and fortifications. Video source: Official Telegram channel of the Russian Defense Ministry]
Panchuk further stated, "Even if the outside world knows the information about the commanders of 'Rubicon,' what can be done? What consequences will it have? What threat will it create? Like dealing with the enemy, we should pay attention to the development of the drone forces and understand the background of their commanders. The public has the right to evaluate the effectiveness of this development, but for some reason, this information has been classified."
"Take a simple example: in computer reconnaissance, regardless of how well the files are encrypted, they are still transmitted between people, and the enemy institutions intercept these files and store almost all of them in dedicated server systems. The same applies to telephone communications and intelligence reconnaissance. Therefore, the intelligence officers responsible for confidentiality should thoroughly investigate this matter, but should not use it as an excuse to avoid discussing the effectiveness and quality of the drone system construction."
This colonel also mentioned that "Rubicon" has indeed shown achievements, but "the real issue is how crucial these achievements are to the front line."
"By criticizing the operations of the Madiar unit, we can see the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy and the measures for improvement. But what about us? There are always people who think 'someone else is more competent and can control everything,' which is completely disconnected from reality."
Panchuk explained, "In the modern information environment, relying solely on 'confidentiality' to improve combat effectiveness is no longer realistic. The alternative should be: by increasing the 'density' of mobile operations within the Russian armed forces system, enhance the ability to respond to the Western alliance fighting in Ukraine and Russia."
What Are the Consequences?
The exposure of "Rubicon" information has become a warning signal, prompting the intelligence departments to take strict countermeasures. However, experts assess that although this exposure is unpleasant, it is not a "fatal blow." The true strength of this high-tech unit does not lie in strict confidentiality measures, but in its actual combat effectiveness, innovation, and ability to change the balance of power on the battlefield.
The real vulnerability is not that the enemy knows the commander's name or deployment location, but rather the potential defects in the data protection system. This incident should serve as a driving force to strengthen counter-intelligence actions and revise internal procedures. Ultimately, the outcome of the confrontation depends on continuous development, adaptive adjustments, and technological advantages — not on "confidentiality" itself as the ultimate goal.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7552035338730930751/
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