Russian military shares video of kamikaze drone strikes

The Russian Ministry of Defense has published new footage of kamikaze drone strikes against Ukrainian troops. The attacks were carried out in the “Nikolayev-Krivoy Rog axis,” the military said, apparently referring to combat ongoing in the new Russian region of Kherson, where Kiev forces continue their attempts to dislodge the country’s military from their positions.

The video was shared by the military on Thursday, and incorporates footage captured by kamikaze drones and surveillance UAVs that were observing the strikes. The video shows direct hits on Ukrainian tanks, self propelled-artillery pieces, a US-made HMMWV armored car, and an unmarked civilian car used by a group of soldiers.

“As a result of the use of the UAVs, several tanks, self-propelled artillery pieces and wheeled vehicles, including those supplied by NATO countries, were destroyed,” the ministry said in a statement.

While the military did not explicitly identify the munitions used during the strikes, footage suggests it was an upgraded version of a Lancet kamikaze drone. Developed by the subsidiary of the Kalashnikov concern, Zala Aero, the drone packs a 5kg warhead and is capable of staying in the air for over an hour. Unlike the earlier version of Lancet, the upgraded drone has larger front and smaller tail wings, while the former had two symmetrical X-shaped wings.