Russian forces are reportedly attaching devices to the Iranian drones they are launching at Ukrainian targets to increase the impact of the strikes.
Over the course of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has used Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or so-called “kamikaze” drones, to strike at Ukrainian infrastructure such as energy sites. A team from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise reported on October 29 that after looking at the remnants of drones fired over the previous three days, Russia had added a new element to its devices.
They found that the drones had been fitted with thermobaric warheads, which cause more destructive explosions, Ukrainian outlet UNN reported. They were also equipped with Russian Kometa navigation units and Chinese control boards, according to the report.
It is too early to assess the effectiveness of the changes and the drones’ accuracy seems to be less important than the damage and panic they cause among the population, UNN said.
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The outlet also reported that Ruselectronics, a subsidiary of the Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec, developed a coating for thermobaric artillery systems that absorbs radio waves. This makes the systems invisible to modern targeting systems and thermal imaging devices.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
In April 2024, video was shared online of a Ukrainian first-person-view (FPV) of a kamikaze drone attacking a Russian-held building using what is thought to be thermobaric munitions.
As previously reported by Newsweek, a shortage of ammunition forced Kyiv’s forces to turn to thermobaric warheads on drones to attack Russian troops in bunkers, trenches and buildings, and six months ago, Moscow appeared to have used the same warheads on Ukraine.
There seems to be no let up in Russia’s use of drones on civilian targets. British defense officials said in September it had launched 1,300 kamikaze drones, a figure that Ukrainian officials said was exceeded in October, following over 2,000 attack drones targeting both civilian and military sites across Ukraine.
A Russian drone strike on Kyiv recently caused a fire in a 16-story residential building, spreading across an area of roughly 550 square feet, as reported by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. On October 29, six people were injured following a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.
Meanwhile, other Russian weapons continue to pound cities in Ukraine. Two S-400 missiles hit a police station in Kharkiv, killing one police officer and injuring 46 others, according to Ukraine’s interior ministry.
The strikes damaged 20 residential buildings, heating and water supply networks and 19 vehicles, local authorities said.
