During the morning shelling of Kyiv, Russian forces may have used a Lancet-type strike drone for the first time, which probably uses autonomous artificial intelligence. This was reported by Defense Express, citing its own sources.
According to preliminary data, one of the drones fell near the Independence Monument in the center of the capital. It is currently being investigated whether this object was the main target of the attack. At the same time, it was confirmed that the drone was shot down in the central part of Kyiv.
The fact that the device belongs to the Lancet type is evidenced by characteristic fragments. Among them is an X-shaped tail with a pusher propeller, which is a typical design feature of this Russian loitering munition. A part of the wing with the number and index RF was also found.
Currently, specialists continue to examine the wreckage. At the same time, even initial results suggest that the drone could have been equipped with an autonomous guidance system.
According to experts, the drone could have been programmed to work in a group, navigate independently, search for targets and carry out attacks without direct operator control. This may be indicated by the unusual marking in the form of colored circles, which was previously recorded on Russian autonomous V2U drones.
Presumably, such markings are used to coordinate the flight of drones when using a “flock”, when several devices simultaneously move towards the same target. It is known that the morning attack on Kyiv was carried out by a group of drones, which may indicate the use of precisely such tactics.
It is also possible that mesh modems or mobile communications, which allow drones to transmit data to each other without a direct control channel, could have been used for coordination.
Regarding the flight range of the Lancet, it is usually officially estimated at approximately 50 kilometers, which corresponds to stable communication with the operator. At the same time, Russian sources previously claimed that these drones can cover up to 90 kilometers, and the maximum recorded distance was allegedly 136 kilometers.
From the Russian border to the center of Kyiv is more than 200 kilometers, so the version of the launch directly from the territory of the Russian Federation raises doubts. In contrast, from the Belarusian border to the capital is approximately 90 kilometers, which theoretically corresponds to the capabilities of such a drone.
Experts suggest that the very attempt to attack the center of Kyiv with the Lancet drone, which carries a warhead weighing up to three kilograms, could have been primarily a demonstration of new capabilities of Russian strike weapons. According to experts, such cases indicate the further development of autonomous technologies in the use of strike drones during modern combat operations.
