Low-Cost Lancets: Russia’s Menacing Aerial Arsenal

The 17-month-long Russian invasion is escalating, and the Ukrainian military is increasingly concerned about a burgeoning threat: inexpensive suicide drones from Russia that pack a punch well above their cost. One such unmanned menace is the Lancet drone, a grey, winged cylinder that has increasingly harassed Ukraine’s forces in recent months, particularly endangering the nation’s valuable Western-donated military assets.

Ukrainian artillery crews have singled out these Lancet drones as a growing danger. Bohdan, a 35-year-old artillery gunner, who goes by the call sign ‘Doc’, shared his observations from the frontlines of Donetsk region, remarking, “Earlier, in spring, they were not using Lancets as often as they are now.”

Samuel Bendett, an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, highlights the Lancet drone’s strategic appeal to Russia’s defense ministry. Costing approximately 3 million roubles, or around $35,000, Lancet drones present an…