The top-flight team is taking to the pitch
Hundreds of targets destroyed – the result of the coordinated efforts of the crew of the ZALA «Lancet» guided missile system from the special-purpose unit. In the latest instalment of the column #operators – snippets of a report on their work on the frontline.
Special forces UAV operators are just as dedicated to their work as they are to their favourite football clubs. The walls of their workspace are decorated with match scarves from Krylia Sovetov Samara and Akron Tolyatti. From the technician to the operator, everyone here knows their role, and the crew commander, like a coach, guides them towards a common goal – to score another goal in the AFU's «net». The main «goalscorer» in the match against the AFU is the Lancet loitering munition.
The skilful actions of every serviceman resemble the craft of Premier League footballers, each of whom knows their manoeuvre and drives the team towards a common goal. A rapid pace was set: no more than ten minutes passed from the crew's deployment to the launch of the Lancet. They are just as hastily preparing to change position and ready the next loitering munition. Having put the «ball» into «play», the technicians hand over possession to the UAV operators, who act as the forwards.
A bustling atmosphere fills the control point of the crew. The operator is focused on piloting the drone, while his assistant coordinates the flight route and monitors metrics such as speed, altitude and distance to the target. Over the course of their work, the reconnaissance personnel have thoroughly studied the terrain, so the second-in-command immediately recognises familiar landmarks and, checking them against the map, suggests the direction of further movement.
– Right now we're operating in «free-hunt» mode. We know where the enemy is located and are directing a Lancet in that direction. We're bound to spot something and manage to disrupt a rotation or mess up their logistics. The juiciest target for us is AFU hardware, – explains crew commander Anton Pechorin, without taking his eyes off the monitor.
Interference flickers across the screen like ripples and a couple of moments later the signal is lost – enemy electronic warfare systems have kicked in, just like defenders fighting for possession of the «ball». For the servicemen, the loss of the image is not a serious obstacle. With a couple of keystrokes on the computer, the specialist switches to another frequency channel and communication with the drone is restored. The Lancet is already deep in the enemy rear, dozens of kilometres from the line of combat contact, so the operators do not lose concentration and prepare for a strike. The crew commander draws attention to several vehicles moving along the road. Zooming in the camera, the operator's assistant spots an armoured combat vehicle among them.
– I can see a priority target, moving slowly, but it's got deflector shields, – reports the assistant.
– Prepare to engage it, – the senior officer at the control post replies.
The crew commander reports the data to the duty officer and requests permission to engage, receiving a positive response. The operator dials in the pitch angle, begins diving on the equipment, and the system locks onto the target. Seconds before impact, the signal disappears, leaving the image of the armoured vehicle within the target designation square. Objective control confirms the successful completion of the mission.
The newly opened 2026 account by the special forces unit has been topped up with another «goal scored against» the enemy. The crew commander gives instructions over the radio for the team operating in the field to prepare the next «Lancet» for operation.
Based on materials from the newspaper «Na strazhe Rodiny» dated 14 January 2026, No. 3 #ZALA #Lancet #Z16 #SVO #operators
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