by The Ukrainian armed forces, who examined the ruins of the nightly drone attacks in Russia last week, discovered a new, highly developed weapon and marked a potential escalation in the air in Moscow.
In contrast to the predominantly black drones that were normally used by Russia, this newly discovered model was white and had a number of advanced functions. It was equipped with an advanced camera, a computer platform for artificial intelligence and a radio connection that enables remote control operations from Russia.
It was crucial that, according to Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian electronics expert, the drone also contained new, Iranian, anti-jamming technology. Mr. Beskrestnov told The Associated Press that most Russian attack drones are black, but this new one was clearly white.
Inside there were no markings or labels that agreed with drones produced in Russia. Instead, the stickers followed a “standard -iran identification system,” said Beskrestnov.
Experts who spoke to AP said that the labels were not a conclusive evidence, but the English -language words agree with the way Iran marks its drones. It is quite possible that it was sold by Iran to Russia to test in combat.
Moscow beat Ukraine in the fourth year with Iranian drones almost nightly. They rave about the Ukrainian cities, their moped-like sound fills the air, while air defenses and snipers have the goal. While some explosive heads are wearing, many bait.
Russia improves its urban technology and tactics and strikes Ukraine with increasing success. However, the British Ministry of Defense said that the strikes of Israel on Iran “will probably have a negative impact on the future provision of Iranian military equipment in Russia”, since Tehran Moscow had delivered “significant quantities” of attack drones.
Israel’s military would not comment on what it happened. Although it has carried out comprehensive attacks in the Iranian military facilities and the US nuclear sites on the Iranian drone industry are not yet clear.
The anti-Jammer in the latest drone that was discovered in Ukraine contained new Iranian technology, suggested Beskrestnov. Other components in Russia’s drones often come from Russia, China and the West.
Although Russia’s drones are based on an Iranian design, the majority are now produced in Russia.
And because a large part of the technology has already been transferred to Russia, including the Iranian software and technical expertise, the direct impact on the Moscow drone program could be limited, according to experts.
However, if Israel made facilities that produce drones and components such as engines and anti-jamming units that are shipped to Russia, Moscow could present the lack of care, experts suggested.
Moscow makes his Shahed – ie “Witness” in Farsi – drones based on an Iranian model in a highly safe factory in Central Russia.
Alabuga’s work in the Tatarstan region delivered its first Iranian drones in 2022 after Russia and Iran had signed a contract for $ 1.7 billion. Later it founded its own production lines and made up thousands of them.
The upgrades identified in Ukraine are the latest innovations that bought directly from Iran directly from Iran in autumn 2022 in autumn 2022. This emerges from Alabuga documents that were bodied.
At the beginning of 2023, the Iran sent about 600 disassembled drones to be rebuilt in Russia before production was located. The design was adjusted in 2024.
Specialists added to some drones of cameras and implemented a plan that was unveiled in an AP examination, the operation false Target is called – and created Decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian air defense.
Alabuga also modified the Shahed to make it more fatal and to create a thermobaric drone that distributes the entire oxygen in its way – potentially collapsed, lung that crushed your eye apples and cause brain damage. The size of the explosive head has also been improved.
Düterananger drones and AI
In at least one case, Iran sent a jet-driven Shahed, with which Russia “experimented” in Ukraine, said Fabian Hinz, an expert for Russian and Iranian drones at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
The Ukraine Air Force found two more examples of nozzle companies in May, but it seems that they are not widespread.
This may be due to the fact that the Iranian design uses a very sophisticated jet engine that also thwarts Iran’s cruise rocks, said Hinz. That probably makes it too expensive to use the night in Ukraine in the evening, he said, even if the engine is replaced for a cheaper Chinese model.
The electronics in the drone, which was most recently found in Ukraine, are also very expensive, said Beskrestnov and pointed out the AI computer platform, the camera and the radio connection. It is unclear why it was used, but Beskrestnov suggested that it could be used to align the “critical infrastructure”, including electrical gear towers.
Earlier versions of the Shahed drone could not hit a moving object or could not change their flight after the start. Sometimes they landed “in circles through Ukraine before they finally achieved a goal”, which it made easier to shoot, said David Albright of Washington’s institute for science and international security.
The radio connection means that an operator communicates with the drone from Russia, introducing a new goal and possibly checking many drones at the same time, the experts said.
The long -distance Shahed has similarities with drones that Russia is already using at the forefront and is particularly resistant to Jamming, said Beskrestnov.
There are eight instead of four antennas on the drone, which means that it is more difficult for Ukraine to overwhelm them with electronic war, he said.
The new drone has markings that indicate that the anti-jamming unit in Iran last year and similarities with Iranian components in older models of the Shahed were made, said Beskrestnov.
Such advanced antennas, said Hinz, have not yet been seen on drones in Ukraine, but were found in Iranian rockets, which are intended for the Houthi rebels supported by Iran in Yemen.
In a statement, the Department of Defense to Ukraine announced in the past four months that it had found drones with eight and 12 antennas in China and Russia.
Despite the sanctions, both Russia and Iran have continued to find ways to obtain western technology.
The AI Computing platform of the drone can navigate autonomously when communication is clogged. A similar technology was used by Ukraine to attack aircraft deeply in Russia during the SPIDERWEB Operation, when they set drones to organize Russian air base with strategic bombers with nuclear ability.
Russia improves its technology at the same time because it also changes its tactics.
Moscow flies the Shahed drones at large heights in which they are out of reach for Ukrainian shooters, as well as lower down down to avoid radio detection.
It also carries out massive group attacks on cities, including the time when drones sometimes bomb a target, said the Ukraine Ministry of Defense.
The drones can be used to delete a path for cruise rockets or to exhaust Ukrainian air defense by sent a wave of decking birds, followed by one or two with an explosive head.
The tactics seem to work.
AP collected almost a year of Russian drone strike data about Ukraine published online by the Ukrainian Air Force.
An analysis shows that Russia increased its attacks considerably after US President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January. And the Russian hits have increased significantly since March – shortly before reports showed that Russia used Shahed drones with advanced sturdy.
In November 2022, only around 6% of the drones reached a recognizable goal, but around 16% achieved this in June. On a few nights, almost 50% of the drones were due to the air defense of Ukraine.
The Department of Defense in Ukraine said that the effectiveness of the Shaheds is probably due to the fact that Russia fires more drones, including declining birds, as well as the change in technology and tactics.
Although Russia seems to have had an increasing success, it is not clear whether this will go on.
Israel’s strikes against Iran will violate Russia in the long term, Albright said.
Moscow, he said, “will not get as much support from Iran as he will. “
