Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, explained: Since mid-September, a new aerial menace has begun harrying the Ukrainian people—explosive-laden kamikaze drones imported from Iran by Russia. The noisy flying-wing aircraft traverse hundreds of miles before nose-diving into civilian and military targets across Ukraine. Together with harder-hitting cruise missiles, they’ve knocked out one-third of Ukraine’s power plants leaving millions in the dark and cold.
These Shahed-136 kamikaze drones built by Iranian company HESA are hardly state-of-the-art compared to expensive hypersonic weapons being developed by Russia and the United States. But they’re so cheap Russia can launch dozens every day, with Ukrainian intelligence claiming Russia is ordering an additional 2,400 beyond the hundreds delivered earlier this summer.
The Shaheds are no war-winning wonder weapon, but they have the potential to cause significant destruction and harm—and forecast disruption of offense/defense balance in future armed conflicts...
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