Latest news with #Shahed
New York Post
a day ago
- Business
- New York Post
Inside the Ukraine drone tech factories that can help the US military
KYIV, Ukraine — With the US and Ukraine discussing a 'mega deal' for Washington to purchase battle-tested drones from eastern Europe in exchange for American heavy weaponry, The Post got an exclusive look Friday at two Ukrainian companies that are developing the technology to blast Russian crafts out of the sky. 'In Ukraine, there is a phrase people have been using — that 'quantity' becomes 'quality,'' said Nomad Drones co-founder and CEO Andrii Fedorov. A single, highly advanced interceptor missile or rocket — such as those in America's Patriot air-defense systems, can cost between $100,000 and $250,000, according to Pentagon data. 3 Nomad Drones co-founder and CEO Andrii Fedorov with an interceptor drone in the company's Kyiv factory. Kostiantyn Yaremenko While those are effective for countering enemy missiles and other advanced air capabilities, they are not financially feasible to defend against Iranian-made, Russian-launched Shahed drones — which Moscow has deployed in large quantities against Ukraine due in part to their cost of under $10,000. Nomad Drones, and a second company that requested anonymity to avoid Russian targeting after having been struck multiple times, are in the business of making hundreds of thousands of small interceptor missiles and drones — that often are even less expensive than Shaheds. 'There is absolutely no sense to waste a $1 million weapon to shoot down a $50,000 Shahed,' Federov said. 'But if you have 20 drones, then the capacity costs you, say, $40,000 to shoot it down.' This affordability is especially critical in a war where Moscow sent more than 700 drones through the skies in a single night just last week. 'It's all about cost-effectiveness,' one of the second company's employees told The Post. 'The world is unfortunately becoming a more dangerous place every day. We do understand that even though Western technologies are so cool and modern — they are expensive at the same time. 'Obviously, we don't want anyone to fight and we want peace, but we live in the real world and there will be a need for relatively cheap yet effective solutions that potentially may be used by our Western allies and partners in their conflicts if they happen.' 3 Nomad Drones employees at work Friday. Caitlin Doornbos/NY Post The anonymous company is making approximately 3-foot-long missiles designed to stop enemy drones before they can reach their targets, which in the case of Russia's invasion often include civilian homes — and civilians themselves. 'These can save so many lives,' the employee said. Meanwhile, Nomad Drones and others in the field are producing tens of thousands of interceptor drones each month. These aircraft, which cost between $3,000 and $7,000 depending on their size, carry explosives that can be detonated remotely upon approach to an enemy vehicle to destroy it before it reaches a target. While the US has long had highly advanced and expensive precision drones developed for special forces to wipe out adversaries with pinpoint accuracy, the reality of modern warfare — with hundreds of drones being launched at the same time to overwhelm opponents — would make such reliance ruinously costly. 3 Drones are equipped with fiber-optic cables, allowing them to fly without getting jammed by radar. Caitlin Doornbos/NY Post The 'mega deal' discussed by the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government, which Kyiv President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed in an exclusive interview with The Post earlier this week, would provide not just drones, but technology to rapidly advance America's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities. Such a deal could be transformative for the military and American national security, with officials and drone experts warning that US technology lags far behind Russia and China. 'The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal,' Zelensky said Wednesday. 'I think this is really a mega deal, a win-win, as they say.'
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
A new American drone that showed up at the Pentagon looks a lot like the Shaheds Russia uses to bomb Ukraine
An American version of the Iranian-designed Shahed one-way attack drones that Russia uses in its daily attacks on Ukrainian cities showed up at the Pentagon this week. Photos show the drone, identified in promotional materials as a Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, or LUCAS, and made by American engineering firm SpektreWorks, on display among a variety of other drone prototypes in the courtyard. The weapon's appearance comes as the US military looks to dramatically increase the production of cheap drones using off-the-shelf components to keep pace with rapid evolutions in warfare, which is becoming increasingly robotic and autonomous. A fact sheet visible in the photos from the Pentagon said that the new Shahed-style drone could support the military's Indo-Pacific Command by "providing a viable threat emulator" and offering "a low operational and maintenance cost compared to traditional munitions systems or aircraft." It said that "this makes the FLM 131 attractive to Joint Forces looking for one-way attack systems that enhance capabilities without increasing costs." The Spektreworks LUCAS design was one out of 18 American-made drone prototypes on display at the Pentagon on Wednesday. The department said that the drones were developed in a period of about 18 months, rather than over years. There is limited information about the FLM 131, but it looks similar to the FLM 136, a product listed in SpektreWorks' catalogue. The FLM 136 is nearly 10 feet in length and has a wingspan of just over 8 feet. It can cruise at 55 knots and sprint at 100 knots, while carrying a maximum payload of 40 pounds. Spektreworks says that the FLM 136 is "reverse-engineered for authentic threat emulation." The FLM models strongly resemble the delta-shaped body of the Iranian-designed Shahed, with the straight wingtips and the rounded head. The 131/136 variant designation is also notably used for the Iranian drone. The design presented at the Pentagon is modular, with the ability to swap out parts for different missions: attack, reconnaissance, and communication. The Iranian-designed Shahed is known as a one-way attack drone, or loitering munition, because it can loiter in the air for a period of time before diving down at its target and detonating on impact. Russia began using the Iranian-supplied Shaheds against Ukraine in 2022, but it has since started manufacturing them locally. While these weapons are slower than cruise or ballistic missiles, they are much cheaper, allowing Moscow to launch them in large numbers. Some recent attacks have consisted of hundreds of drones alongside missiles, complicating the strike package and creating challenges for air defenders. Ukrainian troops and first responders have said that Russia has introduced new tactics with its Shaheds, also known by their Russian designation Geran-2, and have even modified the drones to make them deadlier, such as swapping out their standard explosive payloads for thermobaric warheads. The proliferation of cheap, one-way attack drones extends beyond Ukraine and has been a problem in the Middle East as well. An attack in Jordan last year, for instance, killed three US service members and injured dozens more. These kinds of weapons have also targeted Israel and ships operating off the coast of Yemen. Recognizing the increasing threat that drones represent in modern warfare, the Trump administration has made boosting the production of these weapons to keep up with adversaries a priority. In mid-May, President Donald Trump said the US is coming up with a "new system of drones" and alluded to the Shahed, expressing interest in Iranian designs. "In the case of Iran, they make a good drone. And they make them for $35,000, $40,000," Trump said of Tehran's drone tech during a roundtable with business leaders in Qatar. "And they're very good too, and fast and deadly. Horrible, actually, when you look at what's happening with Russia and Ukraine. The drone is killing tremendous numbers of people." In early June, Trump signed an executive order to speed up US drone production, and last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a memorandum that he is rescinding what was described as "restrictive policies" that stood in the way of production. "Drones are the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation, accounting for most of this year's casualties in Ukraine," Hegseth said in the memo. "Our adversaries collectively produce millions of cheap drones each year," the defense secretary said. "While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape. US units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires." The US military can see that it needs drones for future fights. Drones, for instance, are a key part of the Army's transformation initiative. The Marines have formed an attack drone team to disseminate war lessons from Ukraine to the force. The Air Force is looking at collaborative combat aircraft to fly along its most advanced fighters. And the Navy is exploring using uncrewed vessels to augment the fleet while also training, like the other services, to counter emerging threats.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Shahed: The $50,000 Iranian drone that Russia is using to launch nightly attacks on Ukraine
By the time most Ukrainians go to sleep, they know what's coming. The telltale buzz of propellers cuts through the night. Sirens follow. Explosions, sometimes near, sometimes far. The war in Ukraine, now entering its fourth year, has evolved into a nightly aerial siege—driven not by fighter jets or cruise missiles, but by waves of cheap Iranian-designed drones called Shaheds. On a single night in June, Russia launched 479 long-range drones—most of them Shaheds—toward Ukrainian cities. Since mid-February 2025, when US President Donald Trump publicly pushed for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Russia has averaged over 1,000 drone launches per week, a staggering fivefold increase from the year before, according to analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS.) 'There has not been a single, uninterrupted three-day period without Shahed launches this year,' Yasir Atalan, a CSIS data fellow, told The New York Times. 'Civilians have faced or heard Shaheds almost every night.' The relentless strikes rely on a drone that costs as little as $50,000 to make—about as a BMW M Sport costs in India. The cost to shoot one down? Often more than a million dollars. As James Black of the RAND Corporation put it, 'the advent of cheap commercial drones has sharply tilted the cost asymmetry towards offense.' Shaheds now define a new form of attritional warfare: one where attackers don't just aim to destroy—they aim to exhaust. Originally manufactured in Iran and shipped disassembled to Russia in early 2023, Shaheds are now produced locally in Russian factories. The weapon's design has been tweaked: some units include cameras, others feature improved anti-jamming systems and AI-assisted navigation. Investigations by the Associated Press revealed a Russian initiative, dubbed Operation False Target, to create decoy drones that overwhelm Ukrainian radar systems. The drone itself is crude in appearance but deadly in effect. It looks like a giant black lawn dart, about 11 feet long, with a four-cylinder engine and wooden propeller. The nose holds a warhead, the tail spins the propeller, and the fuselage—sometimes reinforced with honeycombed cardboard between plastic layers—houses off-the-shelf electronics: modems, circuit boards, servo motors, antennas. Many of these components are foreign-made, and easily sourced. Despite their simplicity, Shaheds can fly more than 1,000 miles, often under radar. They're slow and loud, but effective. Britain's Ministry of Defence recently noted that their predictable flight paths make them 'easy to target using conventional air defenses'—yet there simply aren't enough interceptors to keep up. Israel's Iron Dome, Ukraine's NASAMS, and other Western air defences are designed to stop sophisticated missiles. But when Shaheds come in waves of hundreds, defence systems get saturated and very expensive to reload. For Russia, the math is simple. A Shahed costs a fraction of a ballistic missile or cruise missile. An Iskander-M runs upwards of $2 million, and a Kh-101 far more. These more advanced weapons often require jets, ships, or bombers to launch—systems that take years to build and millions more to maintain. Shaheds, by contrast, can be fired from racks welded by someone with basic metalworking skills. And unlike missiles, they don't require elite crews to operate. Ukraine has tried to adapt. Air defences now prioritise more expensive threats. But many Shaheds are not aimed at military targets. They strike power stations, water plants, and residential neighbourhoods. Human Rights Watch and Ukrainian officials say the strikes often violate international laws of war. 'Night after night, Shaheds slam into buildings of no discernible military value,' one official said. Iran, meanwhile, has made drones a pillar of its military and diplomatic strategy. Iranian-made drones, or local variants, have been used not only in Ukraine, but by Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria. In June 2025, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles toward Israel, some of them intercepted, others not. In January 2024, a Shahed drone launched by an Iran-backed militia killed three US service members in Jordan. Though most Shaheds are not autonomous, experts warn that AI integration is rapidly advancing. 'We are now approaching a world where weapons select and engage targets on their own,' said one US defence analyst. The Pentagon defines lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) as systems that, once activated, can 'select and engage targets without further intervention by a human operator.' Russia and Iran are believed to be exploring similar technologies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the proliferation of Shahed manufacturing is a global threat. Ukrainian intelligence believes Russia is sharing production techniques with North Korea. 'This must be addressed now,' Zelensky said. 'Not when thousands of upgraded Shahed drones and ballistic missiles begin to threaten Seoul and Tokyo.' With monthly launches now exceeding 4,000, the Kremlin could build up a stockpile of tens of thousands of drones a year, each capable of flying from Russia to the capitals of NATO countries. This shift from large, expensive platforms to swarms of inexpensive, disposable weapons, has reshaped modern warfare. The future isn't armoured tanks or fighter jets. It's low-tech, black-winged, and buzzing overhead at 3 a.m.
NBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Russian attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure injures at least 15
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia pounded four Ukrainian cities overnight into Wednesday, injuring at least 15 people in an attack that mostly targeted energy infrastructure, officials said. The latest bombardment in Russia's escalating aerial campaign against civilian areas came ahead of a Sept. 2 deadline set by President Donald Trump for the Kremlin to reach a peace deal in the three-year war, under the threat of possible severe Washington sanctions if it doesn't. No date has yet been publicly set for a possible third round of direct peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine. Two previous rounds delivered no progress apart from prisoner swaps. Russia launched 400 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as one ballistic missile, during the night, the Ukrainian air force said. The strikes targeted northeastern Kharkiv, which is Ukraine's second-largest city, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, Vinnytsia in the west and Odesa in the south. 'Russia does not change its strategy,' Zelenskyy said. 'To effectively counter this terror, we need a systemic strengthening of defense: more air defense, more interceptors, and more resolve so that Russia feels our response.' Trump on Monday pledged to deliver more weapons to Ukraine, including vital Patriot air defense systems, and threatened to slap additional sanctions on Russia. It was Trump's toughest stance toward Russian President Vladimir Putin since he returned to the White House nearly six months ago. But some U.S. lawmakers and European government officials expressed misgivings that the 50-day deadline handed Putin the opportunity to capture more Ukrainian territory before any settlement to end the fighting. Other U.S. ultimatums to Putin in recent months have failed to persuade the Russian leader to stop his invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed in the war, many of them along the more than 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and Russian barrages of cities have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, the United Nations says. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said Tuesday that 'Putin holds a theory of victory that posits that Russia can achieve its war aims by continuing to make creeping gains on the battlefield indefinitely and outlasting Western support for Ukraine and Ukraine's ability to defend itself.' Trump said the U.S. is providing additional weapons for Ukraine but European countries are paying for them. While Ukraine and European officials were relieved at the U.S. commitment after months of hesitation, some hoped Washington might shoulder some of the cost. 'We welcome President Trump's announcement to send more weapons to Ukraine, although we would like to see the U.S share the burden,' European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Tuesday. 'If we pay for these weapons, it's our support.' In Brussels on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that the European Union set aside 100 billion euros ($116 billion) in aid for Ukraine as part of the bloc's long-term budget. The proposed sum, which requires approval by the 27 EU member nations and the European Parliament, is to help Ukraine's war-battered economy as the country strives for EU membership. The money won't be spent on military support.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Russia launches fresh wave of attacks targeting Ukrainian cities
Russian forces launched a fresh wave of attacks on several Ukrainian cities overnight on Wednesday, with at least 15 people injured in one of the strikes. Russia launched 400 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as one ballistic missile, through the night, the Ukrainian air force said. The strikes targeted Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, Vinnytsia in the west and Odesa in the south. "Russia does not change its strategy," Zelenskyy said. "To effectively counter this terror, we need a systemic strengthening of defence: more air defence, more interceptors, and more resolve so that Russia feels our response." A barrage of Iranian-made Shaheds was fired in the early hours on Wednesday, targeting the Vinnytsia region. Ukraine's Air Force says it intercepted 18 of them, but one struck civilian infrastructure. At least two hits on civilian buildings were recorded in the region. Eight people were injured in the attack, five of whom suffered severe burns, with at least two in critical condition. One of the victims underwent surgery after suffering 50% burns to their body. Nine private homes in the village of Pysarivka suffered varying degrees of damage. Many of the properties saw roofs caved in, blown-out windows and partially collapsed walls. Electricity and gas supply systems also sustained damage. Strikes on Zaporizhzhia The southern city of Zaporizhzhia was also targeted by Moscow. At least 30 apartments were reported damaged after a barrage of drones struck at least one district in the region. Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said there were no casualties following the overnight strikes, but did note that several civilians sustained minor injuries during evacuations. Earlier on Tuesday, Zaporizhzhia was the target of more than 400 Russian strikes on 14 settlements targeting everything from residential complexes to energy sites. Kramatorsk also came under attack on Wednesday morning. A series of explosions were heard around 1 am local time. One of the drones struck a multi-story residential building, causing a fire. The blaze engulfed part of the apartments, damaging multiple units. Emergency services quickly arrived on the scene and were able to contain the fire not long after it broke out, according to the head of Kramatorsk City Military Administration, Oleksandr Honcharenko. The attacks are part of the Kremlin's latest escalations of its aerial campaign against civilian areas and come ahead of a 2 September deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Russia to reach a peace deal in its all-out war in Ukraine, which is now well into its fourth year. Trump threatened to impose tariffs of "about 100%" on Moscow, in addition to secondary tariffs, and 100% tariffs on any country purchasing Russian energy, if it fails to reach a peace agreement within 50 days.
