January 26, 2025

Ukraine Drone Attack

Ukraine has accused Russia of using Iranian drones to attack civilian targets in Kyiv.

These carry explosives which detonate on impact and are launched in waves, making it hard to defend against.

What is Russia’s ‘kamikaze’ drone?

It’s believed Russia has been using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in the Ukraine conflict since mid-September.

Also called the Geranium-2 by Russia, it has explosives in a warhead on its nose and is designed to loiter over a target until it is instructed to attack.

The Shahed-136 has a wingspan of about 2.5m (8.2ft) and can be hard to detect on radar.

It’s unclear exactly how many Russia has, but the US has said Iran planned to send hundreds to Russia. Iran has denied doing so.

What damage have kamikaze drones done in Ukraine?

Russia was first reported to have used a Shahed-136 drone on 13 September, attacking targets near Kupiansk, a city in the Kharkiv region in the east of the country.

Later that month, it was used in attacks in the south. Debris from the drones were found in wreckage in Odesa and Mykolaiv.

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