Personnel at a forward operating base are patrolling the perimeter after dark when they hear a muffled popping sound in the distance. Soon after, small shells begin raining down on them and there’s no clear indication where the attackers are shooting from. They’ve just been on the receiving end of a 2B25 “silent” 82mm mortar. This might sound like some sort of unlockable upgrade in a video game, but it’s an actual weapon system that Russian special operations forces, commonly referred to as spetsnaz, began receiving in 2018. Jane’s was first to learn that the Kremlin had begun fielding the specialized mortars from an unnamed individual at Russia’s Army 2018 defense exposition in August 2018.

“The [Russian] Ministry of Defence is acquiring new towed and man-portable mortars for the land troops,” Jane’s source explained. “In particular, the special forces are slated for receiving several dozen 2B25 silenced mortars.” The Burevestnik Institute, a subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned defense contractor UralVagonZavod (UVZ), has been working on the 2B25, also known as the Gull, since at least 2011. In 2015, the company announced plans to further improve the design and it’s not clear whether Russian spetsnaz have already been using earlier iterations.

Rostec The 82mm 2B25 Gull mortar and its ammunition on display.