In plain sight How a restroom sign shown by a Russian propagandist revealed the hidden headquarters of Moscow’s most secretive and lethal drone unit

Journalists from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have geolocated the headquarters of Rubicon, a classified Russian Defense Ministry unit for advanced drone technology, to an exhibition pavilion at Patriot Park, a state-run military museum and theme park outside Moscow. One of the giveaways came in a segment about the center by propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, where a restroom sign above a doorway — identical to those in the park’s exhibition halls — slipped through the edit. Here’s how journalists pieced together where one of Russia’s most secretive military programs is based.

The headquarters of Rubicon, a classified center for advanced drone technology that experts rank among the Russian Defense Ministry’s most effective units, is located inside an exhibition pavilion at Patriot Park outside Moscow, according to an investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

Rubicon was established in the summer of 2024 on the orders of Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. The unit oversees centralized drone procurement, operator training, and the development and deployment of new combat tactics. Little has been made public about its operations; in pro-Kremlin media, it is typically described simply as a “secret center.”

Journalists were able to geolocate Rubicon’s base using video footage. The headquarters appeared in three separate propaganda videos: in October 2024 on the Russian Defense Ministry’s official channel, in February 2025 during a broadcast by propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, and in August on Rubicon’s own Telegram channel.

In all three cases, identifying details were deliberately obscured. But Solovyov’s segment contained a telling slip: a restroom sign above a doorway and a column fitted with speakers, both of which were identical to those seen in publicly available images of Patriot Park’s exhibition halls. In the Defense Ministry’s and Rubicon’s own footage, journalists also noticed metal floor plates with distinctive openings, which match those found in the park’s pavilions.

Journalists later found evidence that the base shown in all three videos was not a staged set. One telling detail was that, starting in the fall of 2024, when Rubicon began operating, the Patriot Park events calendar added a new listing: “Scientific and Practical Classes (Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Research and Special Projects, Defense Ministry)” scheduled seven days a week. The head of that department, Yevgeny Shmyrin, was even present during Solovyov’s filmed visit to Rubicon’s headquarters.

RFE/RL also identified Rubicon’s commander: 37-year-old Colonel Sergey Budnikov, a former marine and artillery officer. His name and title appear in letters of gratitude published on the website of the Brotherly Heart foundation, which supports Russian troops, and he was shown on camera in Solovyov’s broadcast. Journalists confirmed his identity through photographs posted on his wife’s VKontakte account.

According to RFE/RL, Rubicon’s operations were a key factor in the success of Russia’s offensive in the Kursk region and its summer push in Donbas. Independent Western analysts and Ukrainian military officials interviewed by the outlet also pointed to the unit’s effectiveness, noting that its operators have successfully struck not only conventional ground targets but also Ukrainian drones, radar systems, communications networks, and electronic warfare equipment. Maria Berlinska, head of Ukraine’s Center for Aerial Reconnaissance Support, said that in just one year, Rubicon had become “Russia’s best technological unit,” with thousands of destroyed vehicles and weapons to its name.

Our only hope is you. Support Meduza before it’s too late.