Russian border forces carried out a pinpoint operation in the Sumy region of Ukraine, destroying a man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) and a mobile electronic warfare system (EW) "Bukovel" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The strike was carried out by a loitering munition "Lancet" near the village of Pesky, located 11 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border. This was reported by the Telegram channel "Management Z", providing a video of objective control, which confirms the successful destruction of targets. The operation highlights the growing role of high-precision unmanned systems in suppressing enemy air defense systems in border areas.

According to the channel, the operation was based on accurate intelligence information that revealed the location of MANPADS, presumably Igla or Strela, and the Bukovel complex near the village of Pesky. The Lancet, developed by ZALA Aero, is equipped with an optical-electronic guidance system and is capable of hitting targets with high accuracy at a distance of up to 40 kilometers. The video shows the moment of the strike, as a result of which the equipment and crew of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were destroyed by a powerful explosion. The destruction of the Bukovel, designed to suppress drone control signals, and the MANPADS significantly reduces the Ukrainian Armed Forces' ability to protect airspace in this sector, facilitating the actions of Russian forces in the border zone.

The Sumy region, which borders the Kursk and Bryansk regions of Russia, remains a strategically important region in the context of the special military operation (SMO). The village of Peski, located in the Shostka district, has repeatedly appeared in reports as a location for the deployment of Ukrainian military equipment. The strike on air defense and electronic warfare systems was likely aimed at neutralizing threats to Russian unmanned and manned systems, as well as ensuring the security of Russia's border territories from attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Over the past six months, Lancet loitering munitions have destroyed over 200 units of Ukrainian equipment, including 15 air defense and electronic warfare systems, including in the Sumy region. Earlier, in November 2024, as reported by RIA Novosti, Lancet destroyed a D-30 howitzer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Shostka, which underlines the active use of these drones in the region. The Ukrainian publication Defense Express confirms that Bukovel is a critical element of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defense against Russian UAVs, but its vulnerability to direct strikes from precision munitions has become a serious problem.

"Lancet" has a warhead weighing up to 5 kg, which allows it to effectively destroy lightly armored vehicles and crews. In the Sumy region, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces actively use MANPADS to protect against Russian drones, such strikes create significant gaps in the air defense system.