Russian Lancet UAV attacks Ukrainian howitzers hidden in the forest.

Russia released video of a Lancet suicide drone equipped with infrared sensors attacking a Ukrainian FH70 howitzer battery hidden in the forest.

In a video released today by the Russian Ministry of Defense , a Russian reconnaissance drone detected a Ukrainian FH70 howitzer firing from a camouflaged position in a patch of forest.

The Lancet suicide drone then crashed, causing the Ukrainian howitzer to explode violently. Images from the Lancet show that it was equipped with an infrared camera, instead of optical sensors like previous versions.

Social media accounts supporting the Russian campaign claim that a Ukrainian FH70 howitzer battery was destroyed near the Vremevsky area in the western Donetsk province, one of the most intense areas of fighting in Kyiv's months-long counteroffensive.

Ukrainian officials have not commented on the information.

Lancet UAV attacks Ukrainian howitzers hidden in the forest. — A Lancet UAV attacks a Ukrainian FH70 howitzer in a video released today. Video: *Zvezda*

Russian media last month published for the first time images of a Lancet UAV equipped with infrared sensors attacking Ukrainian artillery, claiming that this upgrade enhances the Lancet's capabilities and allows it to strike targets at night, instead of only operating during the day like the earlier versions.

"This will give Russia the freedom to choose when to strike, negatively impacting the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian army," reads an article on Militarnyi , the largest military news portal in Ukraine.

The Lancet UAV, developed by Zala Aero, a subsidiary of Russia's Kalashnikov Group, is based on the KUB-BLA cruise missile and was launched in 2019. It fills a crucial gap between lightweight explosive-laden drones and long-range suicide drones like the Geran-2, meeting the need for medium-range weapons specializing in high-precision strikes and tactical-operational counter-fire.

Early Lancet models could automatically dive to targets marked by the operator, or be manually controlled to select the most vulnerable point on the target. The latest version of the Lancet, deployed in Ukraine, has been enhanced with the ability to automatically detect and track targets, without requiring instructions from the crew.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict situation. Graphic: WP

The high combat effectiveness has prompted Russia to expand the Lancet production line. Russian state television channel Rossiya-1 reported in July that production of this UAV has increased more than 50-fold since the outbreak of hostilities. The Lancet's hardware and software have also been continuously upgraded, increasing its range and accuracy.

In an article about technological challenges on the battlefield published on November 1st, Ukrainian army commander Valeri Zaluzhny mentioned Lancet extensively and emphasized that it is a weapon that is "very difficult to counter".

Vu Anh (According to Zvezda, Militarnyi )

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