Russian Lancet-3: inside the launch of a deadly kamikaze drone

The Ukrainian Front profile on platform X publishes a rare recording from the front that shows the moment a Russian Lancet-3 kamikaze drone takes off. It is unknown which specific region and period the film comes from, but it is worth noting that such videos rarely make it to the network.

Kamikaze drones are becoming increasingly significant on the front lines. They are exceptionally effective and can eliminate heavily armoured vehicles, but their production cost is significantly lower than artillery and ballistic missiles. It is no surprise that kamikaze drones are eagerly used by both sides of the conflict—Ukrainians and Russians.

Usually, however, social media platforms showcase recordings depicting drones in the final stage of flight – just before detonation. Rarely do videos show the moment a drone is launched – from which specific launch platform it occurs and what the first seconds of the flight look like after takeoff.

Finally, however, there is an opportunity for this. The Russians have shown in a short material what the launch procedure of one of the most popular kamikaze drones in the Russian Federation's arsenal, the Lancet-3, looks like.

The unmanned Zala Lancet-3 drone shown in the footage is unique because it is only available to the Russian Federation's army. In 2023, Aleksandr Mikheyev, the company director responsible for exporting weapons, Rosoboronexport, explained that this is due to the high domestic demand for the Russian armed forces, so the drone is not exported abroad. The unit price of this device is approximately £29,500, which is about 135 thousand Polish zloty.

The history of the Lancet-3 drone, developed by the Zala Aero Group, dates back to 2019. It was then that the manufacturer first publicly presented this weapon. In the same year, the serial production of the Lancet-3 loitering munition was also started.

The drone was not free from so-called teething problems. In its early versions, the Lancet-3 had difficulties hitting moving targets. It also struggled with eliminating objects hidden under trees, detonating the warhead in the tree canopies – before reaching the target. Improvements addressing these issues were introduced in 2023. New warheads were also developed at that time – more effective and heavier. The Lancet-3 began to pose a more significant threat, as Ukrainians repeatedly found out during the conflict.

An electric motor provides propulsion for this drone, worth over £29,500. It can accelerate the structure to 300 km/h (maximum) and a cruising speed of 109 km/h. Simultaneously, the equipment can reach a maximum distance of 69 km from the mobile launch platform (as seen in the footage—mounted on a small trailer), and it will stay in the air for no longer than 60 minutes.

A 3 kg explosive charge provides the defensive capabilities of this device. It is strong enough to penetrate armour steel 21 cm thick. Also crucial was that the manufacturer did not foresee the possibility of disarming the warhead and landing if the mission was aborted. Once launched, the Lancet-3 must conclude its flight with detonation.