Kathrine Frich
The drones have a 3% strike rate.
On the modern battlefield, expensive technology does not always guarantee success.
Weapons that dominate the skies one month can quickly lose their edge once the other side adapts.
Now, a surprising insider account suggests one famous piece of hardware is burning through cash with almost nothing to show for it.
Millions up in smoke
Russia’s once-feared Lancet attack drones are facing sharp scrutiny after a single military unit reportedly wasted millions of dollars for next to no battlefield gain, United24 Media reported.
Built by Russian manufacturer ZALA Aero, the Lancet is a loitering munition, a type of kamikaze drone that hovers over an area before diving into targets like tanks and artillery. Each craft carries an explosive warhead, uses optical cameras to guide its flight, and can strike targets 40 to 50 kilometres away.
According to pro-Russian militant Pavel Gubarev, cited by United24 Media, the Russian “Sparta” drone unit fired off roughly 100 of these weapons over a three-month stretch starting in mid-June 2026. Senior Lieutenant Kirill Ozerov, who goes by the call sign “Nevsky”, led the team at an undisclosed location.
With each drone priced between $37,000 and $67,000, the three-month blitz cost Moscow anywhere from $3.7 million to $6.1 million. Yet only three drones actually hit their mark.
Three hits in three months
That dismal 3% strike rate yielded just one self-propelled artillery gun, one infantry dugout, and an ordinary roadside kiosk. Ukrainian air defences shot down most of the incoming fleet before the drones could do any harm.
Even worse for Moscow, poor communication between Russian units meant friendly troops accidentally shot down several of their own Lancets.
Behind the scenes, Gubarev blamed commanders for firing the pricey craft without proper planning and then sending fake progress reports to top military brass, United24 Media noted.
While his figures have not been independently checked and only cover one unit, they point to growing trouble for the weapon.
Back on March 17, Ukrainian defence adviser Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov also reported that Moscow had sent up to 40 Lancets toward Kyiv in a mostly symbolic stunt.
