Forbes: Mysterious Ukrainian Drones Destroy Russian Air Defence

The new weapon was called the "Ukrainian Lancets".

Ukraine has long-range drones destroying Russian mobile air defence systems. Forbes reported.

The new weapons were called "Ukrainian Lancets", since they are similar to Russian UAVs. The increased range of the drones allows for many new targets to be hit, and the Ukrainians take advantage by attacking expensive equipment before the Russians can move it to a safe place.

RAM X drones

The new drone was first mentioned in a Telegram post on the official channel of the Khortytsia operational-strategic group fighting in Ukraine’s Eastern front.

"As a result of aerial reconnaissance in the area of the settlement of Zorya, the enemy's 2S6 Tunguska air defence system was detected. A RAM X loitering munition was launched at the detected target. As a result of fire damage, the detected target was critically damaged," the article reads.

Several more strikes from the same type of munitions appear in a new compilation video from the Ukrainian SBU showing the destruction of various air defence systems: Two Buk launcher vehicles, a Buk radar vehicle, two Tor systems, a Strela-10, and a (different) Tunguska the like. These expensive assets will be difficult or impossible to replace in wartime.

Another video from April 10th shows a successful strike on a Russian mobile Borisoglebsk-2 electronic warfare system which clearly failed to either jam the attack drone or the scout drone filming the strike.

There are some interesting points here, the authors of the article note. One is that the Tunguska, a tracked air defence system with twin 30mm cannon, four surface-to-air missiles and its own integrated radar which is supposed to shoot down drones, was tracked and destroyed by Ukrainian drones.

Another point is the name of the drone. RAM X implies an upgraded version of the RAM II loitering munition made by Ukrainian company CDET. The company produces the extremely successful Leleka-100 (“Stork-100”) reconnaissance drone, which has a wingspan of 3 meters and endurance of more than two hours, making it a valuable asset.

In addition, the video of the defeats of Russian weapons practically does not show the drone itself, which attacks it. Unlike the Lancet, which is easily identifiable in attack videos from its distinctive white silhouette with double-X wings , the RAM X is much harder to spot.

Ukrainian Lancets

Russian Lancet munitions played a significant role in the war in Ukraine. The main nuance was that it was produced only in small quantities, apparently due to the impact of a Ukrainian drone on a plant that produces vital components.

In February 2024, Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation and drone supremo stated that two Ukrainian Lancet equivalents were in production and would be fielded soon.

The RAM X is likely to be one of those products. Others under development include the Perun, which looks to be a direct, reverse-engineered copy of the Lancet And while the Lancet costs a reported $30,000, the Ukrainian Lancets will be produced at a fraction of the cost and in far greater numbers.

The role of drones in the war

Drones have become one of the key types of weapons used in the war in Ukraine. Moreover, they are used on both sides. We are talking about FPV drones and attack drones.

Against this background, the "Army of Drones" even appeared in Ukraine. Every week it destroys a lot of enemy weapons. For example, in the period from April 2 to April 10, 30 Russian tanks, 86 armored combat vehicles and almost 100 guns were hit.

Earlier, a NATO official said that Ukrainian kamikaze drones were responsible for two-thirds of the latest losses of Russian tanks. But this could be a wake-up call, as Ukraine's heavy reliance on drones suggests a lack of alternatives.