Russia is apparently using Iranian-inspired drones against Ukraine. Current investigations show that these not only resemble the Iranian Shahed-136 model, but also contain technology from Russia.
According to information from the The Kyiv Independent based on a report by Conflict Armament Research (CAR), Russia has begun producing drones modeled on Iran’s Shahed-136. These drones are being used in the conflict with Ukraine.
Examining drone debris in Ukraine, CAR has found that while the crashed models resemble Iranian Shahed-136s, they also contain components typical of Russian-made surveillance drones. The Kyiv Independent points out that Russia is believed to have already deployed nearly 2,000 such drones against Ukraine.
A Drone of Multinational Components
The Russian variant of this drone is named Geran-2. Interestingly, CAR’s analysis of these drones identified components that originated from companies in various countries, including Russia, China, the United States and Switzerland.
Earlier, Iranian Shahed-136 drones were already detected in Ukraine. But the current report indicates that Russian replicas of these drones are now also in use.
According to The Kyiv Independent, the CAR report indicates that Russia is not only interested in copying the Shahed drones, but also in producing them itself and thus expanding its military capabilities. It looks like these production efforts have already begun.
Image: Kyivcity.gov.ua, Remains of Russian missiles and drones in Kyiv (2023-05-12) 05, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)