Has Russia Run Out of Drones? Vladimir Putin’s troops appear to have exhausted the stockpiles of weapons that have been terrorizing Kyiv
- Russia has apparently run out of kamikaze drones supplied by Iran
- Two bases in Russia were attacked on Monday – a testament to Kiev’s ability to hit deep targets
- Western officials said they believed the Kremlin had used up all of Tehran’s drones
- Iran expected to replenish Moscow’s stocks of Shahed-136 and deliver ballistic missiles
Russia has apparently run out of Iran-supplied kamikaze drones that have wreaked havoc in Ukraine’s cities.
The blow to Moscow’s blitz campaign came yesterday when a third of its air bases were torched.
Two bases were attacked on Monday – likely by Ukrainian drones – damaging planes and highlighting Kiev’s ability to hit targets deep in Russia.
Last night, Western officials said they believed the Kremlin had used up all the kamikaze drones that Tehran had supplied.
The Iranian regime sold several hundred unmanned aerial vehicles to the Kremlin earlier this year. The most effective was the Shahed-136, which was used to terrorize Kyiv in October and November.
Russia has apparently run out of Iran-supplied kamikaze drones that have wreaked havoc in Ukraine’s cities. Pictured: Ukraine shows rescue workers working at the scene of a drone strike in Kyiv on October 17
Two bases were attacked on Monday – likely by Ukrainian drones – damaging planes and highlighting Kiev’s ability to hit targets deep in Russia. Pictured: Smoke rises from a building hit by a drone strike in downtown Kyiv on October 17
The low-flying drones hit apartment blocks and killed civilians. The Russians launched them in groups of ten, making sure to bypass at least one or two air defense systems. The majority were shot down.
While these tactics ensured some reached their targets, it also meant Russia used them up faster. Shahed-136’s fortnight’s absence over Ukraine had led to speculation that cold weather would hamper their effectiveness, but it is now believed there are none left in Moscow’s arsenal.
Unlike most drones, which return to base after dropping their payload, the humble Shahed-136 is destroyed on impact.
A Russian drone is seen during a Russian drone strike, which local authorities believe are Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles. The drones, now in short supply, caused a tragedy in Kyiv
Iran was expected to stockpile Moscow’s Shahed-136 — and supply ballistic missiles
Iran was expected to stockpile Moscow’s Shahed-136 — and supply ballistic missiles.
But it may not have kept those promises, perhaps out of fear of further economic sanctions from the West. It is demanding the lifting of sanctions in return for ending its nuclear weapons program.
The Russian airbase that was torched yesterday was near the city of Kursk, north of Ukraine. Puffs of black smoke were seen after an oil tank was hit. No casualties were reported.
Surrounded by sandbags piled up against further Russian bombing, a mother gazes fondly at her one-week-old daughter in the intensive care unit at Kyiv’s Okhmmatdyt hospital
However, the bases hit on Monday were much further inside Russia and the attacks are expected to raise concern among civilians who are increasingly opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war. They could also force the Kremlin to move its long-range Tupolev bombers to more protected facilities.
A Western official said: “Russia will likely view the attacks as one of the most strategically significant failures in troop protection since its invasion of Ukraine.”
The Engels-2 airbase in the Saratov region is 600 km from the nearest Ukrainian territory, while the Dyagilevo airbase in the Ryazan region is 285 miles inside Russia.
Moscow said Soviet-era drones were used in Monday’s strikes. Ukrainian special forces may also have been involved. Some aircraft were damaged and three personnel were killed at Dyagilevo.
Asked about the strikes, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleskiy Reznikov repeated an old joke blaming cigarette imprudence. “Very often, Russians smoke in places where smoking is prohibited,” he said.