The Russian Armed Forces' Lancet missile flew almost 200 km and hit the Ukrainian Armed Forces' IRIS-T.

1 September 2026 13 738 11

The first official video footage and reports of the combat use of Lancet kamikaze drones (loitering munitions), developed by the Russian company ZALA, in Ukraine appeared in July 2022. By the fall of 2022, and throughout 2023–2024, Lancets had become one of the most widely deployed and effective precision weapons in the Russian Armed Forces for counter-battery warfare and the destruction of Ukrainian armored vehicles. Now they have become even more effective.

Reports have emerged that a ZALA Lancet reconnaissance and strike system (RSS) crew from the 50th Varyag Separate Brigade destroyed a Ukrainian Armed Forces IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile system (SAM), which played a key role in the air defense system in the area, from a distance of almost 200 kilometers (196 km) near the port of Yuzhny in the Odessa region. ZALA Group of Companies reported this on its official Telegram channel on September 1.

Footage from the Lancet's onboard cameras shows how the IRRA intelligent targeting and recognition system identified the missile camouflaged in the forest belt. technique and proceeded to aim the ammunition at the target

– says the ZALA publication.

The video shows the Lancet missile being launched from the Black Sea. This suggests it was used from a surface platform, likely the BK-16 boat, which had previously been used for similar missions. The ability to fly the specified distance was achieved through signal relay.

It's worth noting that this incident further confirms the capabilities of Russian medium-range kamikaze drones (loitering munitions) to strike targets at ranges of 150–200 km, similar to their enemy counterparts, such as the RAM-2X, Hornet, and others. In this case, the key limitation for the Russian Armed Forces' mass deployment is the ability to control the weapon at such a distance, something Ukraine is provided by the extensive American Starlink satellite network.

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Ales

-2

1 September 2026 23: 50

What, couldn't they launch from the Kinburn Spit? It's much closer.
1. Igor M.
  
  -2
  
  3 September 2026 05: 48
  
  Ales, it's completely exposed to fire. There's nowhere to hide.
YuriYuri

-1

2 September 2026 10: 07

That's good if that's the case... Only Lancets fly on batteries, and their maximum range has previously been recorded at 100+ km. For example, the aforementioned American electric Hornet can be delivered 150-200 km even by balloons, but it can't fly the entire distance on batteries. Or is this a new modification with an internal combustion engine?
1. Igor M.
  
  -4
  
  3 September 2026 05: 46
  
  YuriYuri,
  
  Google: Cases of successful use of modernized Lancet drones using relay and intelligent guidance systems at a distance of almost 200 km have been recorded.
  
  GoogleMarch 2026: Lancet strikes were recorded at a range of 135–136 km. These operations utilized artificial intelligence technology and a guidance system.
  1. YuriYuri
    
    -1
    
    3 September 2026 18: 36
    
    I'm not talking about AI and guidance systems, but about the 200 km range. For drones the size of the Lancet, neither we nor the West have electric drones capable of flying 200 km on their own using batteries...
    1. Igor M.
      
      +1
      
      4 September 2026 05: 04
      
      Yuri, it's ridiculous to deny the obvious. It means they already exist, since they're flying by.
      1. YuriYuri
        
        0
        
        4 September 2026 10: 29
        
        It's ridiculous to believe everything anyone writes. That's why I assumed it might be a modified Lancet with an internal combustion engine. Although this variant loses in thermal stealth in flight, it gains in range. Time will tell.
        
        Igor M.
        
        +1
        
        5 September 2026 01: 09
        
        Yuri, this isn't the first long-range strike with the Lancet. They've struck at 150 km and 174 km.
        
        YuriYuri
        
        0
        
        5 September 2026 12: 18
        
        Yes, for God's sake, I'd be only too happy, but I've been following the topic and I know that electric trains don't fly 200 km on their own batteries - anywhere in the world... Including the notorious Hornet, for which part of the route is carried on other carriers, sometimes even on balloons.
        
        Igor M.
        
        +1
        
        6 September 2026 00: 39
        
        Yuri, Yuri, well, you say you're watching. Hornets aren't carried by balloons; they're launched from balloons, and then, falling from a great height, they glide. Incidentally, Gul gives this explanation for the Lancet's long range.
        
        Google: Launch from surface platforms: For example, records for the destruction of equipment in the deep rear (up to 200 km from the official front line) are often set thanks to the launch of Lancets from mobile high-speed boats in the Black Sea.my comments: Apparently, they are attached to the BECs]
        Air launch / Matryoshka: The electric Lancet is attached to a larger, internal combustion engine-powered carrier (a long-range unmanned aerial vehicle), which drops it 30-50 km from the target.
        Specific "reconnaissance" modification: Military experts have documented cases where expensive, high-density experimental batteries are installed on a standard airframe.
        
        Learn to use Google search It now answers the most unexpected questions.
        
        YuriYuri
        
        -1
        
        6 September 2026 09: 57
        
        Read my comment more carefully. I'm talking about other additional storage media, and you're teaching me how to use the internet and sending me my conclusion. And don't talk about experimental samples—expensive experimental batteries are no good in war—we need a mass-produced battery at a low cost. Let's end this discussion here, otherwise it becomes pointless.