WATCH Russian drone take out US-made howitzer

The Russian military has taken out a Ukrainian US-supplied self-propelled gun (SPG) with a kamikaze drone in Kherson Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said, releasing footage of the strike.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said Moscow’s forces had destroyed a 155 mm М109 Paladin SPG using a Lancet drone.
Reconnaissance efforts had revealed the camouflaged position of the US-supplied armor, which was firing on Russian troops. The military then launched a drone strike on the Paladin, the statement said. “As a result of the impact of the Lancet loitering ammunition, the enemy self-propelled gun was destroyed,” officials added.

The ministry also released video, apparently taken from a reconnaissance drone, showing the SPG firing from a position in a narrow-wooded area. The armor is hit by a kamikaze drone and bursts into flames moments later. The entire vehicle is quickly engulfed before a powerful explosion – apparently caused by the detonation of the ammunition load – completely destroys the SPG and sends pieces of armor in all directions.

A day earlier, the ministry released a similar video showing a Lancet drone strike on a Soviet-era Ukrainian SPG Gvozdika on the Kiev-controlled right bank of the Dniepr River.

The Russian military has been actively using Lancet drones – the efficiency of which has been recognized by both Kiev and Western officials – against Ukrainian forces. The number of clips featuring the use of this asset in combat exceeds 2,000, according to the LostArmour analytical website.

Developed by ZALA Aero Group, which is part of Kalashnikov Concern, the Lancet has several modifications and carries a payload of up to 3kg at a maximum range of 50km. According to Reuters, one drone costs about 3 million rubles (about $34,000), while the price tag for many US-supplied heavy vehicles can run to millions of dollars.