Ukraine Drone Unit Says Special Munition Destroyed 171 Russian Artillery Guns in 2 Days

The Lasar Group, part of the National Guard of Ukraine, said it used a new anti-howitzer munition in a two-day operation in early June. According to the group, more than 800 drones were deployed along the eastern and southern fronts, hitting 231 Russian artillery pieces and destroying 171 of them. The unit described the result as roughly equivalent to 10 to 14 artillery battalions, or about three artillery brigades.

The Lasar Group said its engineers developed the warhead specifically to destroy howitzers by targeting their gun barrels, making the weapons inoperable. The reported tactic points to a focused use of drones not just to strike positions, but to disable a key battlefield system. Business Insider reported that the unit published overhead drone footage, but said it could not independently verify when and where the footage was shot.

Ukraine’s defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said the strikes were part of a multi-phase campaign called Operation Auchan. He said the first stage saw Ukrainian drone units attack 980 Russian targets over three days in 2025, and that across both phases the operation hit 1,180 targets in five days. Fedorov also described the second phase as using a newly developed munition aimed at enemy artillery, though no further details about the warhead were provided.

Fedorov said artillery fire causes 10% to 20% of Ukraine’s battlefield casualties, making Russian guns a high-priority target. Business Insider noted that destroying 171 artillery pieces with drones in two days would be significant at the war’s current pace. The report compared it with Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, which recorded 417 howitzers and 57 other artillery pieces struck by 16 top units in June, with 61 confirmed destroyed.