Lancet drone hits US-made Paladin howitzer (MOD VIDEO)

The M109A6 artillery system was targeted in the border Sumy Region, according to the Russian military

Russian forces have destroyed an advanced US-produced Paladin self-propelled howitzer operated by the Ukrainian military, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Monday.

The ministry released surveillance footage reportedly showing the attack in Ukraine’s Sumy Region. It said a Lancet loitering munition, a relatively long-range kamikaze drone normally deployed by Russian forces against high-value armored targets, was used to obliterate the M109A6 Paladin system.

Paladin manufacturer BAE Systems describes the tracked artillery gun as a highly-mobile weapon capable of rapidly firing shells at the enemy and changing its position, before it can be hit by retaliatory fire. The US announced plans to supply to Ukraine with 18 Paladin systems in January 2023, as Kiev was preparing for its failed counteroffensive against Russian defensive positions. The Ukrainian push resulted in few territorial changes, which were later nullified by Russian battlefield successes.

The M109A6 howitzer can fire standard 155mm rounds to a distance of up to 22km, with the range extended to 40km for rocket-assisted projectiles. The US has provided Ukraine with GPS-targeted Excalibur rounds, which cost some $100,000 apiece, along with the guns. According to media reports, Ukrainian forces have had issues with Western guided munitions due to intensive Russian electronic countermeasures jamming satellite signals on the front line.

Sumy Region borders Russia’s Kursk Region, which Kiev targeted last August in a major offensive operation. Ukrainian officials have claimed that they intend to use seized Russian territory as a bargaining chip in future peace talks.

Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry reported liberating over 63% of the territory that Ukrainian forces previously captured in the incursion. The military estimates Kiev’s military losses in the push at over 52,000 personnel, as well as hundreds of heavy weapons and over 1,500 military ground vehicles.