Russian forces have become adept at retooling Iranian kamikaze Shahed drones, making them more deadly and less vulnerable to Ukrainian defenses, according to Kyiv.
Forensic expert Oleksandr Vysikan of the Kyiv Research Institute of Forensic Examinations surveys the wreckage of kamikaze drones after Russian strikes. He says Moscow continues to upgrade its domestically manufactured unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
“[Russian forces] now use a more powerful warhead. We see that they have changed the design and some electronics because of the different warhead,” Vysikan told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service.
The modernized Shahed drones also feature a range of advanced technologies, including protected 16-channel satellite antennas, making it harder for Ukrainian electronic warfare systems to work effectively against them.
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Deadly Upgrades: How Russia’s Shahed Drones Are Devastating Ukraine
“More channels mean more electronic jamming is needed [to block the signal],” Vysikan said. “But the internal electronics are the biggest difference between the versions of this drone. They have completely changed.”
A notable new feature seen on many drones is a secondary navigation system using Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology. This allows operators to track the UAVs in real time using mobile networks, even if the primary navigation system is scrambled.
"This system enables the drone’s path and behavior to be monitored remotely. If it deviates or crashes, operators know it was neutralized," Vysikan explained.
Despite international sanctions aimed at choking off Russia's access to Western technologies, foreign-made components -- originating from countries like the United States, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and China -- are still routinely found in Russian-manufactured drones. Meanwhile, Moscow continues to find ways to circumvent sanctions and obtain foreign parts.
According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), the Russian military began to regularly use Shahed drones to attack Ukraine in the second half of 2022. At that time, these were Iranian-made drones; around 2,000 were delivered to Russia already assembled. Later, Russia established its own drone assembly system from ready-made parts delivered from Iran. Over time, Russia was able to establish a fully domestic production cycle.
Currently, according to the SBU, more than 27,000 drones have been produced by Russian enterprises, with hundreds reportedly used to attack the Ukrainian capital amid a recent surge in air strikes all over Ukraine.