Record Interception: Lasar’s Group Downs a ZALA Z-20 UAV at 6.4 km Altitude

An interceptor drone operator from Lasar’s Group, a special unit of Ukraine’s National Guard, destroyed a Russian ZALA Z-20 reconnaissance UAV at a record altitude of 6.4 km.

The unit’s press service announced the interception and released footage of the operation on social media.

According to the military, the Russian UAV was intercepted recently over the southern sector of the front line.

The special unit reported that Russian forces flew the ZALA Z-20 at an altitude of 6,400 meters in an attempt to avoid interception. However, the operator successfully caught up with the target and struck it using a fixed-wing interceptor drone.

The National Guard unit noted that this is one of the highest-altitude interceptions in which its personnel have successfully destroyed an enemy UAV.

The ZALA Z-20 was first presented in 2023. According to the manufacturer, the UAV has an operational range of more than 100 km and an endurance exceeding six hours in loiter mode.

With a maximum take-off weight of 18 kg, the UAV is equipped with an HD electro-optical camera, enabling the detection and identification of targets at long range.

Russian forces use these UAVs for aerial reconnaissance and to provide target acquisition and guidance for Lancet loitering munitions.

Lasar’s Group strikes

In late June, Lasar’s Group drone operators struck two Russian air defense systems – a Buk-M3 and an S-300V – on the Kostiantynivka axis.

In early July, Lasar’s Group, in coordination with the Ukrainian Air Force, also struck a Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system and two Russian command centers.