New reports state that Russia downed an Iranian drone in Crimea, which was being operated by Moscow’s troops.
Sergei Aksyonov, the leader of Crimea supported by the Kremlin, reported that an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to an “enemy” had been jammed in the eastern region of the annexed territory. Aksyonov posted a picture of the drone that had been shot down. Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels posted footage of a drone catching fire.
Reports indicated that the drone in question was a Mohajer-6 surveillance drone manufactured in Iran, which can also be equipped with weapons, and was being operated by Russia.
Indeed, it looks like Russian forces have brought down their Iranian Mohajer-6 drone.
Drones have been influential in military operations in Russia and Ukraine. In February, Gerashchenko stated that drones were the primary weapon in the ongoing war, saying that the Russian/Ukraine war is a war of drones.
The critical infrastructure of Ukraine has been targeted by Russia using drones made in Iran. The Shahed-131 and -136 UAVs, known as kamikaze drones, are frequently observed in Ukraine. Last month, the Centre for Naval Analyses, a U.S. think tank, published a report stating that Russia cannot meet the demand for UAVs in Ukraine due to insufficient domestic drone production.
According to a CNA report co-author, Samuel Bendett, Moscow’s military-industrial complex faces significant challenges, such as Russia’s dependence on imported technology that domestic technology cannot easily replace.
The military of Ukraine reported on Monday that they had stopped six out of eight drone attacks by Russian forces during the previous night. According to Kyiv’s air force update, Moscow launched five Shahed drones at Ukrainian targets from the Bryansk border region the day before.
On Monday, the British Defence Ministry reported that Russia used Shahed drones extensively in May 2023, carrying out more than 200 attacks on Ukraine.
Russia is believed to be using a strategy to compel Ukraine to exhaust its advanced air defense missiles.
According to the British Defence Ministry, Russia’s success in drone attacks is doubtful. Ukraine intercepted most of the incoming drone attacks using jamming technologies and older air defense systems, blocking at least 90 percent.
