According to the depth of the enemy's defence
In the new edition of the segment #operators – a report on the combat operations of the ZALA «Lancet» RUK crews from the «Centre» military group.
Lancet loitering munitions are appearing increasingly often in the airspace of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Alongside other assets, they are supporting the advance of units and formations of the «Centre» group of forces in this region, easily striking heavy armoured vehicles, engineering structures, and special equipment alike. At present, they are playing a significant role in the destruction of a wide variety of targets in the enemy's rear areas.
«The Lancet is a very precise weapon,» says UAV operator Valery Baranov. «It can destroy any target if the appropriate ammunition is available. If there's an open dugout, it'll fly right in without a problem. If some vehicle is moving along a good highway at high speed, that's no problem either—it will still hit it. Here, both our experience and the help from the Lancet itself, in the form of the artificial intelligence built into the system, play a role. It is a huge help in targeting, especially when operating under enemy electronic warfare conditions.».
Since Russian units entered the territory of the Dnipropetrovsk region, the drone operators have had even more work than before. "We already had daily flights anyway," Valery continues, "but now we consistently do two or three. If needed, we launch even more. We operate at a great distance deep within the enemy's defence. Our record is destroying a target 80 kilometres away from us. Now the enemy is actively preparing for defence. They realise they won't hold out in their current positions. Beyond that lie the steppes, where engineering equipment operates. They are trying to dig trenches, build dugouts and other shelters. Naturally, we do not let them do this freely.
The unit operating Lancets delivers several successful strikes in a single day alone. Each sortie means another burnt-out vehicle or destroyed shelter of the Ukrainian formations.
"Yesterday we had three successful hits," says Valeriy. "The first was a PZM, an earth-moving machine. It was in operation, digging a trench. The result turned out to be impressive. Each of our strikes is corrected by a reconnaissance drone, so the outcome is always visible. The machine burned out completely. We also hit two trucks, moreover one of them was clearly carrying ammunition. Artillery, possibly. Everything detonated with terrible force.".
Valery and his fellow servicemen are proud to serve in a unit equipped with Lancets. Every successful use of these loitering munitions makes it easier for Russian units to carry out their tasks on the combat contact line.
Based on the newspaper «Uralskie Voennye Vesti» of 31 October 2025, No. 99. #ZALA #Lancet #Z16 #SVO #operators
