Ukrainian Defense Ministry advisor explains why Russia launched 40 Lancet drones at Kyiv
Ukrainian Defense Ministry advisor Serhii Beskrestnov ("Flash") said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.
"Lately, our air defense has been very effective, and Russian officials need to deliver at least some symbolic news to Putin and the Russian public. That's how the information project 'Lancet on Kyiv' was born," he wrote.
According to him, Russia prepared a full operation using both Shahed and Lancet drones to ensure that fragments of the Lancet would reach Kyiv and be visible to the Russian population and leadership.
"Why the electric Lancet? There are much better tools for such a show. I think the hype around the Lancet in Russia had died down, and the manufacturers needed a compelling story to justify new purchases. That's why they sent 40 Lancets at Kyiv. Our enemy spent 40 expensive drones, which are normally meant for other missions, purely for show. Shaheds carrying Lancet fragments were added to the mix, and in the morning the whole swarm headed toward Kyiv," he explained.
Beskrestnov noted that a standard Lancet is designed for short-range battlefield strikes at 30-80 km. To reach Kyiv, its warhead is removed, replaced with an extra battery, and new-tech batteries are applied. The drones can be controlled via radio channel at altitudes up to 1.5 km – but striking the ground was not the objective.
"The whole procession in flight stretched in altitude from Chernihiv to Kyiv. Our units did a good job, and somehow a few made it to Kyiv, causing no real damage – though one fragment did reach Maidan," he added.
The advisor emphasized the benefits of this "operation" for Ukraine: the 40 Lancets could have caused serious damage on the front lines or at substations; Ukrainian units got to practice detecting and countering small aerial targets; and the opportunity arose to study the electronics of downed Lancet drones.
As Ukrinform reported, Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 194 of 211 drones launched by Russia against Ukraine from the evening of March 15.
