Fragments of a possible Lancet drone equipped with artificial intelligence fell on Independence Square in Kyiv
Kiev was the target of a new wave of drone attacks launched by Russia on the morning of Monday, March 16, and experts have advanced the hypothesis of a first-ever attack by a Lancet drone equipped with artificial intelligence. Fragments of a downed drone were discovered right in the center of the capital, near the Independence Monument, Kyiv Post reports.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Kliciko confirmed that debris from a drone had fallen in the city center, but stressed that there were no casualties or fires as a result of the incident.
“There are no fires and no casualties. The enemy's attack on Kiev continues”Klitschko said.
Images on social media show fragments of a downed drone falling near the Ukrainian capital's iconic monument. According to the publication Defense Express, which cites its own sources, the fragments would belong to a Lancet-type drone.
Identification would have been possible due to distinctive features of the drone, including the “X”-shaped tail and propeller, as well as specific markings on the wing.
According to a preliminary analysis cited by Defense Express, the new Lancet variant could use artificial intelligence for swarm operations, autonomous navigation and hitting targets without direct communication with the operator.
The specialist publication also mentions the existence of markings in the form of colored circles, similar to those observed on Russian V2U autonomous drones. These could be used to maintain formation in a “swarm” of drones.
Lancet drones typically have a range of about 50 kilometers. However, Russia claims that some models can reach 90 kilometers, and the reported record would be 136 kilometers. Kiev is more than 200 kilometers from the Russian border, raising questions about where the drone was launched. A possible option would be Belarus, located approximately 90 kilometers from the Ukrainian capital.
However, Ukrainian officials view with skepticism the hypothesis of a direct attack with such a drone on Kiev.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's defense minister, pointed out that the Lancet drones are designed for short-range attacks on the front line and would not have the autonomy to reach Kiev.
“I believe it is possible that the fragments were intentionally launched from Shahed drones as part of a special enemy information operation”Beskrestnov said.
He added that the Ukrainian military continues to collect data to analyze the incident, including radio signals, radar data and images taken by interceptor drones.
A similar opinion was expressed by Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Combating Disinformation within the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. He believes that Russia could have deliberately launched the fragments of an experimental drone, taking into account the fact that such a device “he would not be able to reach Kiev directly from Russian territory.”
The attack is part of a large-scale air offensive launched by Russia overnight. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, between 18:00 on March 15 and the morning of March 16, 211 attack drones were launched, including Shahed, Gerbera and Italmas models.
“The peculiarity of this attack was the atypical morning assault, using various types of attack drones on the Kiev region”the Air Force report said.
The main directions of the attack targeted Odesa, Zaporizhia and Kyiv regions. Ukrainian air defenses, supported by aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare teams and mobile fire groups, managed to repel most of the attacks.
According to preliminary data, by 11:00 a.m., Ukrainian air defenses have shot down or neutralized 194 Russian drones. The official report, however, does not mention Lancet-type drones among them.
In Kiev, the air alert was sounded at around 08:26 and explosions were heard almost immediately as air defense systems intercepted the targets. Journalists in different areas of the city reported hearing both explosions and gunfire, frequently used to shoot down low-altitude drones.
The head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Timur Tkacenko, said that part of a drone fell in an open area in Solomianski district, and in Sviatoshynski district fragments fell in an uninhabited area, causing a dry vegetation fire.
The air alert was raised at 9:57 a.m., but was reactivated at 11:10 a.m. and canceled again at 11:44 a.m.
At the same time, the city of Kharkiv was also targeted by attacks. Mayor Ihor Terehov announced that a Shahed drone hit the Shevcenkivsky district, injuring one person. Later, another strike was reported on the border between Kievski and Shevcenkivski districts, where transport infrastructure was damaged.
