Published: July 18, 2024 9:35 am
Author: RT
A Lancet loitering munition destroyed a Ukrainian М109 Paladin in the southern sector of the front line, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said
The Russian military has taken out a Ukrainian US-supplied self-propelled gun (SPG) with a kamikaze drone in Kherson Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said, releasing footage of the strike.
In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said Moscow’s forces had destroyed a 155 mm М109 Paladin SPG using a Lancet drone.
Reconnaissance efforts had revealed the camouflaged position of the US-supplied armor, which was firing on Russian troops. The military then launched a drone strike on the Paladin, the statement said. “As a result of the impact of the Lancet loitering ammunition, the enemy self-propelled gun was destroyed,” officials added.
The ministry also released video, apparently taken from a reconnaissance drone, showing the SPG firing from a position in a narrow-wooded area. The armor is hit by a kamikaze drone and bursts into flames moments later. The entire vehicle is quickly engulfed before a powerful explosion – apparently caused by the detonation of the ammunition load – completely destroys the SPG and sends pieces of armor in all directions.
A day earlier, the ministry released a similar video showing a Lancet drone strike on a Soviet-era Ukrainian SPG Gvozdika on the Kiev-controlled right bank of the Dniepr River.
The Russian military has been actively using Lancet drones – the efficiency of which has been recognized by both Kiev and Western officials – against Ukrainian forces. The number of clips featuring the use of this asset in combat exceeds 2,000, according to the LostArmour analytical website.
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Developed by ZALA Aero Group, which is part of Kalashnikov Concern, the Lancet has several modifications and carries a payload of up to 3kg at a maximum range of 50km. According to Reuters, one drone costs about 3 million rubles (about $34,000), while the price tag for many US-supplied heavy vehicles can run to millions of dollars.
