Italmas (BM-35, “Izdeliye-54”)

What it is

A kamikaze strike drone from the Russian maker of the Lancet. It was first shown in September 2023. In appearance and launch method it resembles the Shahed, but it has its own silhouette: on our map the Italmas is drawn with a separate marker.

HUR's catalogue lists it as a loitering UAV with a claimed range of 200 km. It takes off from a pneumatic catapult and runs on a petrol engine, and according to Defense Express the fuel tank is built into the wing. Defense Express described it as a weapon with “deeper reach” than the Lancet: for hitting vehicles and facilities up to 100–150 km away.

The Russian side has claimed it carries “artificial intelligence” on board. Defense Express stresses that its real specifications are unknown and that the published figures are the developers' own claims. The first photo of its use at the front appeared in early 2025, and in 2026 interceptor drones were shooting Italmas drones down over the Kharkiv region.

BM-35 with Starlink

The name BM-35 used in the media refers to the same drone: according to OBOZ.UA, it is a ZALA design that was indexed 421-04M, then “Izdeliye 54” and finally “Italmas”. In early 2026 some of these drones were fitted with a Starlink terminal. According to defence minister adviser Serhii Beskrestnov (“Flash”), such a BM-35 can fly up to 500 km and has already reached Dnipro. The satellite link gives the operator real-time video, and it is very hard to jam with electronic warfare.

The standard BM-35 is slow: about 100–120 km/h. In August 2026 Russian media showed a jet-powered version with a claimed speed of over 350 km/h and a warhead of about 10 kg. Whether it is used in combat has not yet been confirmed.

What it means for you

For someone on the ground, the Italmas is a strike drone just like the Shahed. Act the same way: take shelter rather than watching the sky.