The Ukrainians threw many Leopard-2 tanks into battle, which they received, and during the counteroffensive of Kyiv, many of them received battle damage. For several months, the Russians have been successfully using the “flying Kalashnikov”, the Lancet kamikaze drones, which they used to wreak havoc among Ukrainian armored vehicles.

Newly published images show how exactly such a Lancet drone is aimed and hits a Ukrainian Leopard 2A6 tank.

The footage shows the drone striking the area behind the tower from one side. An explosion occurs, and the tank is later seen to remain in place, smoking. However, there is no catastrophic explosion, as often happens with tanks of Soviet origin, which after such hits explode together with the cargo inside.

“Flying Kalashnikov” wreaks havoc on the front. A slow killer destroys millions of dollars worth of Ukrainian military equipment

Ukrainian servicemen from four different artillery crews told Reuters that the Lancet drone, also known as the Flying Kalashnikov, is one of the main threats they face on the battlefield.

Several soldiers said its use had increased in recent months.

“Earlier, in the spring, they didn’t use Lancets as often as they do now,” 35-year-old artilleryman Bohdan, nicknamed “Dok,” told Reuters near Avdiivka, on the front line in Donetsk region.

Russia’s Defense Ministry is encouraging increased production of the Lancet as a cheap way to hit valuable Western equipment provided to Ukraine for its counteroffensive, said Samuel Bendett, an analyst at the Center for a New American Security.

Bendett noted that, according to open Russian sources, the Lancet drone costs about 3 million rubles, which is equivalent to 35 thousand dollars.

By comparison, analysts estimate that one S-300 missile used by Russia costs at least several hundred thousand dollars. At the same time, the Leopard 2 tank costs several million dollars.

Because the Lancet is a single-use device that self-destructs on impact, Bendett said the tactic can only be effective if the cost is kept to a few tens of thousands of dollars per drone.

Lancet drones, real-time controlled “homeless munitions”

Lancet unmanned aerial vehicles, which are a type of “stealth munitions” — remotely piloted aircraft that can stay in the air for long periods of time and deliberately crash into enemy groups or military equipment — have become an increasing threat on Ukraine’s front lines in recent months, according to the Ukrainian military.

ZALA drones are manufactured by Zala Aero, a subsidiary of the Kalashnikov Group. They can carry from 1 kg to 3 kg of cargo (sensors and explosives), fly below the radar, with an autonomy of more than half an hour, a range of about 40 km and can reach a speed of 130 km/h.

According to Bendett, the Lancet’s newest model, the Lancet 3, can fly up to 50 km, making it more capable of striking targets deep behind Ukrainian lines than any other Russian kamikaze drone except the Shahed.

Its ability to hover and then track a target poses a threat to valuable equipment such as tanks, self-propelled artillery and missile launchers.

The Lancet model is said to have a dive speed of over 300 km/h, which is much higher than other kamikaze models.