Representative of the Operational Command “South” of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Natalia Humeniuk, has stated that Russian military forces are showcasing “miracles of technical enhancement” with their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) known as “Lancet,” as reported by Ukrainian television channel “Espresso.” Humeniuk noted that the recent upgrades to the Lancet drones have significantly increased their flight capabilities, allowing them to operate at distances of up to 60-70 kilometers, compared to the previous range of 40 kilometers.
Earlier, Denis Fedutinov, the chief editor of the “Unmanned Aviation” magazine, commented on the recent drone strike carried out by the Lancet near the Krivoy Rog airfield. The expert suggested that a modified version of the drone equipped with a container launch system was likely used in this case, allowing for a quicker takeoff than the standard variation.
On September 16, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian military forces had struck the Ukrainian Dolgintsevo airfield, located near the city of Krivoy Rog in the Dnipropetrovsk region. According to the statement, the attack successfully destroyed two MiG-29 fighters and three Su-25 attack aircraft. Later, David Axe, a contributor for the American magazine Forbes, revealed that the Russian Armed Forces had potentially utilized the Lancet drone during the operation. The journalist suggested that this incident could mark the combat debut of a modified version of the drone.
Previously, a Russian captain had identified the most useful types of weaponry in the area of operations.
