The use of Shahed-136 suicide drones by the Russian military has intensified in recent weeks.
That Iranian drones have become a major player in the conflict in Ukraine. They were delivered to Moscow from Tehran in late August, when the Russian military was facing an arms shortage. Their deployment by the latter has intensified in recent weeks with the tactical reversal by Kremlin forces. Since Sergei Surovikin became the new commander of “special operations,” Russia has incessantly attacked strategic Ukrainian infrastructure such as power plants and military facilities.
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2,000 Iranian drones ordered by Russia
Although Iran and Russia deny any military agreement, Iranian trainers have reportedly been seen in Crimea helping Russian forces deploy Shahed 136 drones. For its part, the European Union has decided on a new package of sanctions against Iran.
That’s what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday Russia had ordered “about 2,000 drones” from Iran to support its bombing campaign in Ukraine. “According to our intelligence services, Russia has ordered about 2,000 Iranian shaheds,” he said. In early October, the Ukrainian army announced that between the “30. September and October 6” destroyed “24 Shahed-136 suicide drones”, which at the time represented half of the contingent available to the Russian armed forces.