Lancet: The Russian Kamikaze Drone Blunting Ukraine's Counteroffensive
Russia’s ZALA Lancet drones have emerged as one of the biggest dangers faced by Ukrainian forces amid Kyiv’s ongoing counteroffensive, and frontline troops say use of the drones has ramped up in recent months.
Bohdan, an artillery crewman, told Reuters, "Earlier, in spring, they were not using Lancets as often as they are now. Damn, they use them against us very often. 'Even yesterday, there was a report there were three Lancets flying over, searching for us,” he said while standing in a forest in the Donetsk region. Lancets are X-winged suicide drones controlled by pilots who guide it to targets through real-time video transmitted from the nose of the drone. The weapons are launched from a small catapult and can stay aloft for around 40 minutes. The Russian-made drones were introduced in 2019 and first seen in combat in Syria.
The latest iteration of the drone has a range radius of more than 40 kilometers, meaning it can strike targets far beyond the front lines, where high-value missile systems and radars are often stationed. The newest Lancets can reportedly carry a warhead of up to 5 kilograms. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces now frequently use metal netting to surround howitzers and other weapons in an effort to stop loitering munitions from striking valuable hardware.
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
