On Could 17 the Russian Armed Forces launched their largest drone assault thus far in opposition to Ukrainian and allied targets. 273 single use Shahed 136 drones and decoys had been launched, of which roughly 60 are estimated by Ukrainian sources to have reached their targets. The Vasilkov Airfield southwest of the Ukrainian capital Kiev was among the many confirmed targets hit, though the extent of the harm stays unknown. At an estimated value of roughly $35-40,000 per plane, and significantly much less for decoys, the whole assault value beneath $10 million to launch. The dimensions of the assault which Russia may launch for such a modest value highlighted the appreciable worth of the Shahed 136. This value is roughly equal to that of six 9K720 ballistic missiles from the Iskander-M system, relying on alternate charges. The low value drones are considerably simpler to intercept and carrying a lot smaller payloads, however are additionally effectively suited to overwhelming their targets and fascinating a number of low value targets. The assault occurred days after an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump praising the Shahed 136 class for its pace and lethality, and calling for america to develop a equally low value drone class domestically.
The Shahed 136 was developed in Iran within the 2010s, and started to be utilised by the Russian Armed Forces in opposition to Ukrainian targets in September 2022. The drone has been produced beneath license in Russia beneath the designation Geran-2. When launched, the plane performed a significant position in swaying the stability of energy within the Ukrainian theatre, offering a way more reasonably priced and usable asset for strike missions. This has contrasted with North Korea’s provision of bigger and better payload ballistic missiles to Russia. Arms provides by the 2 states have thus been extremely complementary, though provides by Iran have been dwarfed by these from North Korea. The impression of drone deliveries was such that senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mikhail Podolyak, in November 2022 referred to as for an assault on Iran particularly to retaliate for its drone provides to Russia.
Iran in 2024 unveiled a for much longer ranged class of single use drone, the Shahed 136B, which has a bigger airframe and far expanded 4000 kilometre vary. Though this drone class has little utility for Russia to have interaction targets in Ukraine, it stays unsure whether or not the Russian Defence Ministry has an curiosity in procuring it to have the ability to threaten targets deep throughout the territories of NATO member states. Employment in Ukraine has made the Shahed 136 by far probably the most distinguished product of Iran’s defence sector, reflecting each the energy of its drone trade and the constraints of most different areas of its arms trade.
