Just when the tide was turning in Ukraine’s favour, comes news that Russia is bolstering its offensive weapons in a way that could seriously impact the war..The news is this: Moscow and Tehran are building a factory in Russia that will manufacture Iranian-designed combat drones, CNN reported on July 25, citing US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) analysts..The analysts noted such a factory would provide Russia with new supplies of drones, allowing the country to obtain significantly more kamikaze drones than Iran currently supplies..The analysts also reported Iran regularly sends equipment to Russia to assist with the rapid construction of the factory — which suggests the Russians are digging in for the long haul and yet more destruction awaits Ukraine..The agency stressed that Iran has so far only transferred about 400 drones to Russia, including models such as the Shahed 131, 136 and Mohajer. However, this arsenal is nearly depleted..The report also says the United States possesses "irrefutable evidence" that Russia is using Iranian kamikaze drones, despite Tehran's repeated denials..When the facility is completed, likely by early next year, the new drones could have a significant impact on the conflict, the DIA warned..The DIA provides intelligence on foreign militaries and their operating environments so the US and its allies can prevent and decisively win wars..Although the warming of relations between the Kremlin and the government in Tehran is widely understood, DIA officials are hoping that the evidence of Iran’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict will encourage more sanctions..In April, the US released a satellite image of the planned location of the purported drone manufacturing plant, inside Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone about 600 miles east of Moscow, CNN reported.. Drone factoryThe image of an industrial site in Russia where Washington alleges Moscow is building a drone factory, with the help of Tehran. .Iran has been covertly using the Caspian Sea to move drones, bullets and mortar shells to Russia, often using vessels that are “dark,” or have turned off their tracking data to disguise their movements..Tehran, for its part, has flatly denied providing the drones for Russia during the war..“The Islamic Republic of Iran has not and will not provide any weapon to be used in the war in Ukraine,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in October..In November, Amir-Abdollahian acknowledged that Iran had supplied drones to Russia, but said they had been delivered to Russia months before the war began..Aside from bringing in money, sending drones to Russia benefits Iran’s space and missile programs and allows it to showcase its weapons..Since the launch of the Kremlin’s 'special military operation,' Iran has supported Russian forces by supplying them with hundreds of Shahed-131/136 combat drones — Russia ’s favourite Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV.).Technically, the 131 is an earlier and smaller version of the Shahed, with a flying range of up to 900 km and a warhead of around 10 to 15 kg, the Istituto Analisi Relazioni Internazionali, (IARI) reported..Conversely, the upgraded version, Shahed 136, has a range of up to 2,500 km, a maximum speed of 185 km/h while the warhead is estimated to weigh around 30 to 50 kg..Other than size, range and warhead weight, the two versions of the Shahed have a similar principle of operation and are unified in all main components, especially in electronics..According to Justin Bronk from RUSI, Shahed-131/136 UAVs give Russia the opportunity to launch long-range attacks while saving on costs since Shahed-136s cost as little as US $20,000 apiece..At such a low price, Moscow can purchase thousands of Shahed drones and then launch 'swarm attacks' — thus reducing Ukraine’s chances of repelling the attacks effectively..Shahed UAVs are very difficult to detect because of their small size, low altitude and ability to change direction in flight, says the Speaker of the Air Force Command of Ukrainian Armed Forces, Yuri Ihnat..A secondary report released this month by the UK-based Conflict Armament Research (CAR) has disclosed that Iranian drones used in attacks targeting Ukraine’s cities and power grids were “designed specifically for attacks against large targets such as energy infrastructure.”.It does have limitations, however. According to the IARI report, they cannot be used against all targets..Since they are smaller in size, Shahed 136 UAVs can only carry a warhead of up to 50kg, which is significantly less than that of a cruise missile, whose weight is around 450kg..As a result, it is difficult to hit serious targets and inflict significant damage with them..As they rely on a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and inertial guidance systems to attack at specific coordinates, they can exclusively attack pre-selected, static targets, unlike more sophisticated suicide drones which are able to identify targets on their own..Their relatively low speed of up to 185 km/h also makes them vulnerable to shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles such as the FIM-92 Stinger or anti-aircraft guns..Similarly, the piston engine produces a loud, buzzing noise which can be heard even at long distances. Its slow speed and loud noise explain why Ukraine has successfully been able to shoot down hundreds of Shahed drones..Nevertheless, a swarm of these drones would be a formidable force — one that Ukraine and its allies must take seriously..— With files from Yahoo News
