A target in the Sumy region was hit with a lancet, the military said.
Russian troops attacked a radar station in Ukraine’s Sumy region with a Lancet loitering munition, the Defense Ministry said on Monday, releasing footage from the drone’s onboard camera.
The station was identified as ST-68. The E-band air surveillance radar was originally developed in the USSR in the 1970s and has been improved several times over the years. It is usually used to identify low-flying targets for air defense systems.
The video shows the station with its phased array antenna in an upright position, suggesting active deployment. The same part was later filmed by another drone and shows flames and signs of damage, with the antenna visibly tilted to the side.
The ministry said Ukrainian troops were “blinded” by the attack, but did not disclose the location of the attack. The ZALA Lancet has an effective range of up to 50 km, depending on the model.
The Ukrainian region where the attack was carried out borders Russia’s Kursk region. Earlier this month, Kyiv began a cross-border push into the neighboring Russian region. Ukrainian officials claimed this was an attempt to create a “security buffer” along the border.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky claimed the incursion pre-empted a Russian offensive toward Sumy. Kyiv had previously cited several goals of the operation, including gaining a stronger position for eventual peace talks with Russia, demonstrating to Western nations and the Ukrainian public that the Ukrainian military can still go on the offensive, and spreading fear in Russian society to put pressure on Moscow.
As of Monday, the Russian military estimated Ukrainian losses in the Kursk offensive at over 6,200 soldiers, 73 tanks, hundreds of other armored vehicles and dozens of heavy weapons, including multiple rocket launchers.
(RT.com)
