Latest news with #ShahedDrones
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Inside Russia's suicide drone factories manned by teenagers
Credit: Zvezda/Russian state owned tv/X Teenagers are helping Russia build Shahed suicide drones as Vladimir Putin ramps up production at a major factory in Tatarstan. The Yelabuga production facility, the largest of its kind in the world, is spearheading efforts to stockpile the weapons to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences with mass aerial bombardments. The footage, recorded by Zvezda, the Russian defence ministry's TV channel, is the first detailed look inside the plant. Students and staff are shown on the production line constructing row after row of matt black 'Geran-2' drones, the Russian-built version of the Iranian-designed Shahed 136. Teenagers are reportedly invited to the plant after finishing 9th grade at 15 years old, and most come from the nearby technical college. 'Everywhere you look, there's young people working here,' the voice-over says as the camera pans across what appear to be dozens of teenagers making drone components and working at computers on the bright factory floor. Shahed drones have become instrumental in Putin's plans to relentlessly pound Ukrainian cities and drain morale among the armed forces and terrorised civilians. It came as the Kremlin said on Sunday that achieving its war goals remains Russia's priority ahead of signing a peace deal with Ukraine, despite Donald Trump giving Moscow 50 days to agree to a ceasefire or face severe sanctions. European defence officials believe Russia plans to fire thousands of the relatively cheap Shahed drones every night as production increases. The new dark paintwork on the Russian models is believed to reflect an increasing focus on night-time attacks. Other footage released in Russia on Sunday showed the drones being launched from the back of what appear to be new model American-made Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks, seemingly in violation of sanctions. Credit: Zvezda/Russian state owned tv/X The video of the factories emphasised the plant's in-house production lines, showing metal foundries and a blacksmith's workshop, as well as assembly stations and testing facilities. It said Putin had noted the set-up at Yelabuga, suggesting it should be replicated across the country to reduce Russia's dependence on imports for manufacturing. Russia is now believed to be producing more than 5,000 long-range drones a month, with up to 18,000 units built at the Yelabuga plant in the first half of 2025 alone. A Kremlin-linked think tank claimed last month that drone production had jumped by 16.9 per cent in May. More than 500 drones and missiles are regularly fired at Ukraine in night time attacks, and analysts believe the Kremlin is close to being able to pound the country with more than 1,000 in a single day. On July 9, Russia carried out its largest attack yet, with 741 missiles and drones launched at Ukrainian towns and cities. Putin hopes that with repeated onslaughts, he can wear down morale among Ukraine's population, deplete Kyiv's defences and undermine the West's appetite to maintain its support. Geran-2 drones are relatively cheap to produce, costing between £26,000 and £37,200 per unit. Ukraine's western-supplied air defence systems are much more expensive, with a single Patriot missile interceptor costing over £4 million. Christian Freuding, a senior German army officer, warned this week that Ukraine and its allies would need to develop countermeasures costing £1,500 to £3,000 per unit in order for its air defence to be economically viable, given Russia's growing attacks. Mr Freuding also said he believed Russia is aiming to be able to launch 2,000 drones a night at Ukraine, which would pose a serious challenge to air defences. The Yelabuga site was opened in 2023 and is in the Alabuga special economic zone near Kazan, a high-tech manufacturing hub. If needed, drone technology can be shipped directly from Iran via the Caspian Sea as it sits on the Kama River, which flows into the Volga. Though more than 1,000 miles from the Ukrainian border, the facility appears to have been targeted by Kyiv. In June, Russian media reported that one person was killed when intercepted drone debris fell on a checkpoint in the area. The Geran-2 has a total length of 3.5 metres and a wingspan of 2.5 metres. It weighs around 200 kilograms, carries a 50kg warhead and can descend onto targets up to 1,800 kilometres away at speeds of up to 300kmph. Ukraine reported this week that it had shot down its 30,000th Shahed drone, using analysis of a serial number obtained from a fragment of one of the downed munitions.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine Scrambling To Fight Against Growing Russian Shahed-136 Threat
The First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine is on a recruitment drive to expand its ability to defend against Shahed-type drones. It is part of a nationwide effort to counter the increasing number of Russia's long-range drone attacks that are being made possible by growing production capacity of these weapons and improvements in their strike capabilities. 'Our needs include manning several batteries, specialized technical support teams, UAS and FPV interceptor groups, as well as analytical and support personnel,' Andrii 'Hack' Danyliuk, Captain, Head of the Air Defense Department of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine Azov, told The War Zone on Monday. 'Each structural element will consist of dozens of professional service members, collectively forming a powerful fighting force. This is not a short-term reinforcement effort, but the development of a systemic capability to become a key component in countering enemy UAVs at the operational-tactical level.' The Azov recruitment campaign comes as Russia has dramatically ramped up Shahed attacks on Ukrainian cities. On July 9, Russia launched the largest Shahed attack of the all-out war, firing 728 Shahed drones and decoys, as well as seven Iskander cruise missiles and six Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles. Another 426 Shaheds were fired at Ukraine between Sunday evening and Monday morning, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. All up in smoke: Kyiv shrouded in the aftermath of another massive attack — Slava (@Heroiam_Slava) July 21, 2025 Beyond stepping up the number of drones it is launching, Russia has changed its tactics, expanding its ability to overwhelm already limited Ukrainian air defenses. 'Instead of deploying 500 drones nationwide like they used to, Russian forces now target one or two cities at a time,' according to (CP) a Ukrainian defense technology publication. 'These drones now fly either very high, at altitudes above 3-4 km, or extremely low over the ground, close to the roofs of apartment buildings.' At the higher altitudes, mobile fire groups with machine guns can't hit the Shaheds, noted. At the lower altitudes – just over the ground – the drones are much harder to detect, decreasing reaction time or allowing them to get by unseen by sensors. As a result of Russia's increased attacks and improved tactics, Ukraine's ability to defend against these drones is diminishing. Shaheds are now hitting targets at three times the rate they were in previous months, according to Ukrainian Air Force data analyzed by the Financial Times. Mass Shahed attacks 'appear to be overwhelming Ukraine's beleaguered air defenses, with the drone hit rate reaching its highest levels since Moscow's invasion,' the publication posited. 'Ukrainian air force data suggests about 15 percent of the drones penetrated defenses on average between April and June — rising from just five percent in the previous three months.' ''The problem is not [that] the Ukraine air defence is getting worse. Instead, what we see is that new swarming tactics and drones are now flying in higher altitude, [which] makes them more effective,'" — Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) July 21, 2025 Making matters worse for Ukraine, Russia is drastically increasing the number of drones it is producing. As we have previously noted, while Russia initially relied on Iran to supply its Shaheds, it now produces its own at the rate of 2,000 per month with plans to nearly triple that in the not too distant future. On Sunday, Russian media released a new video showing off its Shahed factory in the Tartarstan region, which you can see below. Inside Russia's Geran-2 drone factory in TatarstanRare footage reveals the Alabuga plant's mass production of tens of thousands of deadly kamikaze dronesDesigned to attack in relentless swarms — 'Gerans' punch through Ukraine's defenses — outmaneuvering even F-16s — RT (@RT_com) July 20, 2025 Ukraine has created several methods for detecting Shaheds, including robust audio detection systems and an app that people can use to report what they see or hear. Now Ukraine is looking for new techniques. As a means to counter the increasing Shahed threat, Ukraine has developing so-called interceptor drones. They are based on uniquely-configured first-person view (FPV) drones Ukraine has been using to counter Russian reconnaissance drones for the past year. These counter-air FPV drones have to fly faster and higher than their standard FPV counterparts used for striking ground targets. CP talked to three Ukrainian drone manufacturers who laid out what's needed to use FPV drones to counter Shaheds. A speed of over 200 km/h (about 124 mph). A regular FPV flies at up to 120 km/h (about 75 mph). The ability to climb to altitudes of up to 6 km (about 3.7 miles or 20,000 feet). A terminal guidance system to reduce dependence on the operator. A warhead between 600 and 1200 grams (about 1.3 to 2.6 pounds). Ukrainian interceptor drones – STRILA and BUREWIY. STRILA can reach speeds of up to 350 km/h and destroy Russian Geran UAVs. BUREWIY is designed to shoot down Russia's Zala, Orlan and SuperCam ISR drones. — Samuel Bendett (@sambendett) June 24, 2025 Anti-Shahed interceptor drones developed by @wilendhornets and financed by the @sternenkofund. — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) July 20, 2025 'The bigger the target, the bigger the warhead needed for more precise detonation. Because you can hit a wing, but it will only tear it off and not destroy the target itself,' Olha Bihun, co-founder and CEO of Anvarix, a terminal guidance system developer, told Interceptor drones, CP added, 'could destroy a Shahed with either a direct hit or with a special warhead that explodes near the target, creating a cloud of debris.' FPV drones designed to intercept Shaheds are just a small fraction of the cost to fire surface-to-air missiles like a Patriot PAC-3 interceptor, which costs nearly $4 million a piece. Ukraine has also been using advanced National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAM) against Shaheds as well, which cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Gun systems and electronic warfare systems, as well as other SAM types and fighter aircraft have all played a role in defending against the onslaught of Shaheds. Iranian Shahed drone, intercepted mid-air by a Ukrainian the vision — layers of our interceptor drones in the sky. Ukrainian-built. Ukrainian-led. Shaheds won't slip through. Civilians won't live in need to beg for unstable 'aid.'We've got the brains,… — Bandera Fella *-^ (@banderafella) June 27, 2025 In addition to new, improved drones, Ukraine also needs more operators to defend against Shaheds. That's where Azov said it can help. 'Our unit's tactical approaches are shaped by the nature of today's drone threats — especially the enemy's large-scale nighttime attacks and use of asymmetric tactics,' Danyliuk told us. 'We apply non-standard detection techniques and preemptive measures, integrating traditional air defense assets with advanced technologies, including autonomous platforms and digital solutions.' Danyliuk declined to offer specifics, citing operational security concerns. However, Azov has acknowledged that it too will incorporate interceptor drones into its counter-drone program. 'Our strength lies in rapid adaptation, coordination with other defense components, and flexibility in implementing solutions enabling us to intercept threats before they reach their targets,' he explained. Following the techniques of Ukraine's mobile anti-drone fire units, Azov's teams are designed to be called in where needed. 'Our focus is on sectors experiencing heightened enemy strike UAV activity, particularly involving Shahed-type drones, as well as critical infrastructure facilities requiring additional protection,' Danyliuk noted. 'For reasons of security and operational effectiveness, the unit's deployment locations and routes of operations are not disclosed. Our core principle is mobility — the ability to rapidly shift between sectors within our designated area of responsibility.' 'Our forces will be deployed where they are most needed — swiftly, precisely, and without reliance on fixed positions,' he added As far as when these new units will be deployed, Danyliuk declined to provide a timeline. 'The decision to initiate operations will be made once the unit reaches the required level of technical and tactical readiness, in line with real-world frontline challenges,' he stated. Azov's counter-drone recruitment effort is one of several taking place in Ukraine. Last month, Ukraine's parliament unveiled a plan to recruit local volunteers to shoot down Russian drones. The new program offers up to 100,000 hryvnias (around $2,400) per month from local budgets. 'The project will recruit members of paramilitary units and volunteer territorial defense units who have the necessary drone operation skills or qualifications,' the Kyiv Post reported. 'They will be tasked with defending against Russian aerial threats, including detecting, tracking, and shooting down drones using UAVs, piloted aircraft, and personal weapons.' Another major concern is the infusion of AI into the Shahed-136 airframe, which is already underway. This will have massive repercussions we discussed in great detail a year and a half ago in this previous feature. Further information has been released regarding the downed Shahed-136s with imaging guidance and AI of materials and electronic components indicate Iranian camera is an analog thermal imager for both reconnaissance and terrain following.1/ — Roy (@GrandpaRoy2) June 28, 2025 The U.S. military-industrial complex is finally catching on to what Shahed-type drones can bring to the table, though far later than it should have. Last week, 18 American-made drone prototypes were put on display at the Pentagon. It was part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's move to increase U.S. domestic drone production. Among them was one called the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drone, a delta-winged weapon closely resembling a Shahed. We will have more on this U.S. development in an upcoming special feature, so stay tuned for that. But as it sits today, Ukraine has a major Shahed problem that is only growing at a time when traditional missile interceptors are becoming more scarce. The hope now is that additional drone units armed with many types of lower-end weaponry can help keep the growing hoards of Shaheds at bay. Contact the author: howard@ Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Inside Russia's suicide drone factories manned by teenagers
Teenagers are helping Russia build Shahed suicide drones as Vladimir Putin ramps up production at a major factory in Tatarstan. The Yelabuga production facility, the largest of its kind in the world, is spearheading efforts to stockpile the weapons to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences with mass aerial bombardments. The footage, recorded by Zvezda, the Russian defence ministry's TV channel, is the first detailed look inside the plant. Students and staff are shown on the production line constructing row after row of matt black 'Geran-2' drones, the Russian-built version of the Iranian-designed Shahed 136. Teenagers are reportedly invited to the plant after finishing 9th grade at 15 years old and mostly come from the nearby technical college. 'Everywhere you look, there's young people working here,' the voice-over says as the camera pans across what appear to be dozens of teenagers making drone components and working at computers on the bright factory floor. Shahed drones have become instrumental in Putin's plans to relentlessly pound Ukrainian cities and drain morale among the armed forces and terrorised civilians. It came as the Kremlin said on Sunday that achieving its war goals remains Russia's priority ahead of signing a peace deal with Ukraine, despite Donald Trump giving Moscow 50 days to agree to a ceasefire or face severe sanctions. European defence officials believe Russia plans to fire thousands of the relatively cheap Shahed drones every night as production increases. The new dark paintwork on the Russian models is believed to reflect an increasing focus on night-time attacks. Other footage released in Russia on Sunday showed the drones being launched from the back of what appear to be new model American-made Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks, seemingly in violation of sanctions. The video of the factories emphasised the plant's in-house production lines, showing metal foundries and a blacksmith's workshop, as well as assembly stations and testing facilities. It said Putin had noted the set up at Yelabuga, suggesting it should be replicated across the country to reduce Russia's dependence on imports for manufacturing. Russia is now believed to be producing more than 5,000 long-range drones a month, with up to 18,000 units built at the Yelabuga plant in the first half of 2025 alone. A Kremlin-linked think tank claimed last month that drone production had jumped by 16.9 per cent in May. More than 500 drones and missiles are regularly fired at Ukraine in night-time attacks, and analysts believe the Kremlin is close to being able to pound the country with more than 1,000 in a single day. On July 9, Russia carried out its largest attack yet, with 741 missiles and drones launched at Ukrainian towns and cities. Putin hopes that with repeated onslaughts, he can wear down morale among Ukraine's population, deplete Kyiv's defences and undermine the West's appetite to maintain its support. Geran-2 drones are relatively cheap to produce, costing between £26,000 and £37,200 per unit. Ukraine's western-supplied air defence systems are much more expensive, with a single Patriot missile interceptor costing over £4 million. Christian Freuding, a senior German army officer, warned this week that Ukraine and its allies would need to develop countermeasures costing £1,500 to £3,000 per unit in order for its air defence to be economically viable given Russia's growing attacks. Mr Freuding also said he believed Russia is aiming to be able to launch 2,000 drones a night at Ukraine, which would pose a serious challenge to air defences. The Yelabuga site was opened in 2023 and is in the Alabuga special economic zone near Kazan, a high-tech manufacturing hub. If needed, drone technology can be shipped directly from Iran via the Caspian Sea as it sits on the Kama River, which flows into the Volga. Though more than 1,000 miles from the Ukrainian border, the facility appears to have been targeted by Kyiv. In June, Russian media reported one person was killed when intercepted drone debris fell on a checkpoint in the area. The Geran-2 has a total length of 3.5 metres and a wingspan of 2.5 metres. It weighs around 200 kilograms, carries a 50kg warhead and can descend onto targets up to 1,800 kilometres away at speeds of up to 300kmph. Ukraine reported this week that it had shot down its 30,000th Shahed drone, using analysis of a serial number obtained from a fragment of one of the downed munitions.
Arab News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
At least 15 injured in Russian attack targeting energy infrastructure in Ukraine
Russia launched 400 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as one ballistic missile, during the night'Russia does not change its strategy,' Zelensky said KYIV: Russian weapons pounded four Ukrainian cities overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, injuring at least 15 people in an attack that mostly targeted energy infrastructure, officials latest bombardment in Russia's escalating aerial campaign against civilian areas came ahead of a Sept. 2 deadline set by US 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' 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 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 Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, Vinnytsia in the west and Odesa in the south.'Russia does not change its strategy,' Zelensky 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 some US 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 US 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 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 US is providing additional weapons for Ukraine but European countries are paying for them. While Ukraine and European officials were relieved at the US 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 USshare the burden,' European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Tuesday. 'If we pay for these weapons, it's our support.'
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
‘They are trying to sow fear': How Russia has amped up its aerial strikes on Ukraine
Ukrainian officials breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday after Donald Trump pledged to send more weapons to Kyiv. Just hours earlier, Russia launched 728 drones and 13 missiles at Ukraine - its largest ever aerial attack. Air defences were able to shoot down 296 drones and seven missiles while a further 415 drones were lost from radars or jammed. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the incident as 'a telling attack' that came 'precisely at a time when so many efforts have been made to achieve peace '. But this is only the latest in a streak of record-breaking aerial attacks over the past month. Below, The Independent looks at how, and why, Russia has decided to target Ukraine's cities with such devastating force. Attacks increased from June onwards Russia's aerial strikes on Ukraine have massively increased since June with intense peaks. Figures show that the five most concentrated attacks have taken place in the past month. Last Friday, Ukraine reported 550 drones and missile strikes overnight. Before that, on 29 June, they reported 537 - the first time Russia has ever broken the 500 strike a night barrier. In June alone, there were five instances where Russia sent over 400 drones and missiles in a night. It follows a report from The Kyiv Independent last month which warned Russia's drone strikes could increase to over 500 a night as it ramped up production rate of Shahed-type drones up to 70 units per day, a sharp increase from the reported 21 a day last year. A Ukraine military-intelligence source told the publication that Moscow would soon have 12-15 new launch sites in operation. Russia has been 'planning increase in strikes' Federico Borsari, a Fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), has told The Independent that the Russian army are likely to have been planning an increase in strikes for at least a year. 'There were already signs that Russia was trying to increase its output in terms of assets and platforms that they could launch against Ukraine in 2024,' he said, adding that the increase in drones is an attempt to make air raids more effective. 'Russia is trying to diversify its strike packages to make them more cost effective and achieve a scale of destruction that is sufficient to destroy key military targets such as airfields.' He added that, for more than three years, Russia was not 'very effective' when it came to 'diminishing the production capacity of Ukraine at the industrial level' The Russian army had also failed to 'create a sense of panic and fear among the population in order to discredit the government and create the conditions for less efficacy on the front line,' he said. Putin 'trying to induce panic' with strikes Mr Borsari continued that Russia had been forced to be more tactical in its aims to increase damage against critical Ukrainian infrastructure, while also targeting its manpower. 'Russia is now also trying to focus on more strategic targets such as military enlistment offices, across different areas of Ukraine,' he said. 'The attempt here is not just to destroy energy plants or other infrastructure, but also to instil fear and create a sense of panic among the population. 'So, increasing the psychological effects of this war on the Ukrainian population and at the same time discouraging people from basically going to enlistment offices.' He said the psychological effects of the strikes could 'diminish the ability of the Ukrainian forces to recruit', adding: 'This is certainly an issue for Ukraine compared to Russia.' Zelensky said that the latest drone strike saw the city of Lutsk, in Ukraine's north west, hardest hit. Lutsk is home to airfields used by the Ukrainian army, with cargo planes and fighter jets routinely flying over the city. Analysis shows that while Moscow is increasing its drone output and ramping up the intensity of its attacks, they do not follow a consistent pattern. The day before Russia launched 550 drones and missiles at Ukraine, it sent over 52; the day after, it fired 322. Moscow taking 'on and off days' approach to strikes Marcel Plichta, a former US Department of Defense analyst, suggested that Russia was staggering its large attacks with an 'on and off days' approach. 'The on day you would have a really big and increasingly a record breaking attack and then on the off day you would have... like 100 drones or 61 drones,' he explained. 'The benefit to the large attack is, in addition to the fact that it grabs headlines, it's more likely to overwhelm Ukrainian air defence and damage the morale of the Ukrainian population. 'It's worse to try and shoot down 500 drones at once than it is 200 drones over two nights because you suddenly have to prioritise. You have to figure out where they all are and you need to respond to them. That's a much more challenging situation.' Both analysts added that the escalating aerial strikes indicated a ceasefire wasn't on the cards anytime soon, three years after Putin launched his brutal invasion of the country. 'Russia has demonstrated that they're all in on the Shahed as a platform. They'll tinker with it, they'll make improvements, and they'll introduce more complicated variants, but fundamentally they are all in on this idea of mass drone attacks to accompany their missiles,' Mr Plichta said. 'Basically from now until the end of the conflict, you're going to see a growth in the number of Shaheds being used. Maybe patterns of their usage will change again, but this overall number used per week, per month, per year, is going to keep growing as Russia produces more and better Shaheds.' He added: 'Ultimately the thing that stops Shaheds is a political end to the conflict, not necessarily a magic weapon that can shoot down interception rate or even striking production facilities.' Mr Borsari echoed his sentiment, saying: 'It's clear that Russia is not interested in achieving a ceasefire, at least based on the conditions that the US and Ukraine were hoping for.'
