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The fact that Russia is using Iranian drones in Ukraine, like the ones that hit Kyiv yesterday morning, demonstrates two things: Tehran's growing role in this sphere and some weaknesses of the Russian drone industry, writes AFP, quoted by BTA.

All about the topic:

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Iran delivered hundreds of drones to Russia this summer, the White House said, and they are being used regularly, including in Monday's attacks on Kyiv.

What drones, for what purposes?

Two models with different applications have been identified.

The Shahed 136 is a fairly large kamikaze drone that is cheap to manufacture.

It reaches its destination via jeep coordinates entered before takeoff.

Then it moves autonomously, flies quite low and hits a target, which is necessarily fixed at several hundred kilometers," explains Pierre Grasse, a French researcher associated with the Siris center in Paris.

Russia is massively using this model in Ukraine.

But also "the Mohajer-6, which has functions and dimensions similar to the Turkish Bayraktar TB-2," added Vikram Mittal, a lecturer at the US military academy at West Point.

Mohajer-6 "are Russia's answer to Ukraine's TB-2" - the famous armed drone of the MALE (medium altitude, long endurance; acronym means "male" in English - note ed.) delivered from Turkey.

It also distinguished itself at the hands of Azerbaijan in its war against Armenia in 2020, recalls Jean-Christophe Noel, a French researcher at the French Institute of International Relations.

Russian kamikaze drone attacks in Ukraine continue

How effective are they?

"Like all armed drones or kamikaze drones, they are very effective when the adversary has no means of defense or retaliatory attack," emphasizes Noel.

"Much of their initial success is due to the fact that this is a new weapon in this theater. The Ukrainians will capture them, disassemble them and develop anti-drone systems. Before that, they will be effective," says Mittal.

Until then, the Ukrainians can try to shoot them down with man-portable anti-aircraft systems during the day or with batteries equipped with night-vision radars.

They can also try - but this is not easy - to jam the jeep signal to paralyze the "Shaheed 136", who do not have the equipment to continue to their target in such a situation.

The Ukrainians claim to have shot down dozens of Iranian drones in recent weeks.

As for these kamikaze drones, "using them is a cost-saving measure for Russia because it saves valuable cruise missiles that cost $1.5 to $2 million" each, Grasse recalled.

"Their main disadvantage is that they can only hit fixed targets," he explains.

"This does not pose a threat to deployed troops. Therefore, the arrival of drones should not change the course of the fighting," predicted the French researcher.

There are casualties in Russian drone attacks over Ukraine

Is this a Russian bankruptcy?

Why is Russia, one of the world's major arms producers, sourcing from Iran?

"The Ministry of Defense (of Russia) has developed the relevant tactical and technical requirements for unmanned aircraft. And most (Russian) manufacturers, unfortunately, are not able to fulfill them," Russian Colonel Igor Ishchuk said recently, as quoted by the TASS agency.

Pierre Grasse, for his part, mentions the weakness of the Russian industrial structure.

"The special technology center that manufactures the Orlan (reconnaissance) drones has announced that it will switch to 3 shifts of 8 hours to work 24 hours a day. They are unable to form the teams. Just like on the front line , Russia's problem is human resources," he notes.

Apart from this difficulty, Russia has not planned long-range kamikaze drones like the Shahed 136 in its arsenal, but has "models with limited autonomy (maximum 40 kilometers)," Grasse added.

As for armed MALE drones, "the delivery of Iran's Mohajer-6s is also an admission of industrial failure," the researcher clarifies.

"It is assumed that they have materials of this kind ... It means that (the Russian industry) cannot cope."

"Western sanctions have caused problems, as has covid, which has caused disruptions in global supply chains," emphasizes Mittal.

The Russians "no longer have access to Western technology components and their attempts to develop serial production of this type of engine have been unsuccessful," explains Noel.

Even if they apply workarounds.

For example, getting a Russian diplomat to buy navigation systems anywhere in the world at a model aircraft shop.

"The parts will then be sent to Russia by diplomatic mail," Grasse explains.

Russian drones hit an oil terminal in Nikolaev

Iran - Ankara's market rival?

"Undoubtedly, there is a kind of race between Iran and Turkey to increase their shares in the market for cheap drones," says Mittal.

"The upper segment of the market is occupied by the US and Israel," recalls Marian Reno, an expert on aeronautics and drones.

"The Turkish drones are below them, but they are more reliable than the Iranian ones, which seem to lack high accuracy."

"Iran already has customers for these drones in the Middle East" among its allies, from Yemen to Lebanon to Iraq, Noel recalled.

"American sanctions against potential customers, however, severely limit the number of applicants who would like to acquire such equipment," he adds.  

The US has accused Iran of lying about the use of its drones in Russian attacks in Ukraine

Russian invasion of Ukraine