Russia's new 'kamikaze' drone much more dangerous than Lancet

Russia’s military has started using a new type of 'kamikaze' drone that is similar in purpose to the well-known Lancet drone, Defense Express reports. Its existence was first revealed in February 2025 when the enemy used it for limited strikes on Sumy.

Currently, its use is being recorded on various frontlines, including the eastern front. According to expert Sergey Flash Beskrestnov, despite its seemingly standard appearance, this new Russian drone, whose name is still unknown, is significantly more dangerous than other models. Even though it visually resembles other Russian drones, like the Kub-2, its more advanced capabilities make it a much greater threat.

This is thanks to its relatively expensive and specialized electronic components. The key feature of this new drone is its guidance system, which utilizes "machine vision". The drone is equipped with a powerful 14 MP camera and a JETSON video processing module.

It also has a laser rangefinder, which is tied to its advanced terrain-following navigation system. To do this, the drone compares the images from its camera with a reference image stored on a 100 GB disk onboard.

Additionally, the drone is equipped with both satellite and inertial navigation systems, allowing it to operate in a target search area without relying on GPS or GLONASS. For communication, the drone uses 3G modems, enabling internet-based communication without range limitations.

The combined warhead (KOFSBCH-3) combines cumulative, fragmentation, and incendiary effects, weighing a standard 3 kg for such kamikaze drones. The drone’s flight range, thanks to its 34 Ah battery, can reach up to 80 km.

Moreover, it has been observed that multiple drones may participate in a single attack, suggesting the possibility of swarm tactics.

Defense experts from Defense Express cautiously suggest that the presence of the laser rangefinder might also be related to the need to measure the distance to the target, which could then be used by the drone's algorithms to search for the target. For this, a large visual data base would be required.

The powerful camera indicates that the drone can likely perform autonomous target searches from a significant flight altitude. This is not just a system for guiding the drone to a target when it encounters electronic warfare (EW), but an autonomous system for target search, classification, and attack.

The emphasis on autonomy is apparent in the addition of the inertial navigation system, and potentially, self-orienting systems based on reference images of the terrain.

In general, this new Russian drone is built around expensive solutions that make it far more dangerous than the Lancet. However, it is likely that its cost-effectiveness evaluation by the enemy is still ongoing.