What are 'suicide drones' used by Russia to attack Ukraine? Here’s how they got it

Ukraine has confirmed that Russia is using “suicide drones” to bombard Ukrainian cities. A recent attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv using these drones on Monday left at least four dead, which was one of the several attacks that the Kremlin unleashed with the new weapon.

The suicide drones

The new suicide drones Russia’s using are called Shahed drones or Kamikaze drones. The drones are the latest addition to the Kremlin’s arsenal, and their acquisition is a matter of great concern for the western allies. Shahed drones are different in functionality than predator drones commonly used in war.

While predator drones are remotely controlled to drop ammunition on the target, Kamizake drones are pre-installed with target coordinates ahead of time. They use GPS to navigate and are resistant to signal jams. Experts suggest that these drones are difficult to detect or track through radar. They do have weaknesses, though, and one of those is the loud noise they make.





However, the question is, from where did Russian acquire the Shahed drones? As per US officials, Russia was using Iranian drones, despite Tehran denying any involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine. Farzin Nadimi, a fellow at The Washington Institute and expert in Iranian defence, said to NPR that Russia was using Iranian drones as it found to replenish its stock of ballistic and cruise missiles. On the other hand, Iran maintained that it had not supplied arms to Russia or Ukraine.

FAQs

1. What are the suicide drones called?
   The suicide drones Russia’s using in Ukraine war are called Shahed or Kamizake drones.
2. From whom did Russia purchase Shahed Drones?
   US officials allege that Russia procured the drones from Iran, but Tehran denies the claim.