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Kamikaze Shahed 129 UAV drone on display in Tehran. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
JAKARTA – Ukraine is furious because Russian drone attacks seem to be endless. Iran was also accused of being one of the causes because it supplied the Shahed-107 kamikaze drone to Russia.
In terms of specifications, the Iranian Shahed-107 kamikaze drone is not a random weapon. Its most feared capability is to seek out and destroy high-value targets, such as the British and American multiple launch rocket systems used by Ukrainian forces.
Sky News reports that Iran is alleged to have sold several units of the Shahed-107 kamikaze drone to Russia as well as a number of other weapons, in a deal estimated to be worth more than $2 million. Previously, Ukraine and its allies had also accused Iran of supplying Russia with the Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.
Quoted from JPost, Saturday (13/1/2024), the Iranian Shahed-107 kamikaze drone comes from the Shahed-101 UAV family, which is characterized by a V-shaped tail. It is 2.5 meters long, with a wingspan of 3 meters, has a range of up to 1,500 km, and can be launched from a vehicle.
The UAV is equipped with live streaming transmitter technology for video or FPV, giving it the ability to identify targets on the Ukrainian front line in real-time.
Responding to this accusation, Russia refused to comment. Meanwhile, Iran has repeatedly emphasized that it does not supply weapons to Russia. In September 2023, Iran’s president confirmed his country was not sending any weapons or drones to Russia for use in Ukraine. “We oppose the war in Ukraine,” he said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Also Read: Confronting Iranian Drones in Ukraine, US Orders Sophisticated Point Blank to Israel
A source stated that Ukrainian officials were very concerned about Iran’s development of this new drone. Russia is also continuing to modernize Iran’s drones, forcing Ukraine to use more expensive air defense systems. It said Russia could now assemble Iran’s own Shahed-126 system at its military facilities in Moscow.
In addition to its drone development, Iran is also reportedly close to providing ballistic missiles to Russia, with more lethal capabilities than drones. These missiles will have a range of more than 300 km.
These ballistic missiles can accurately hit targets throughout Ukraine and can only be intercepted by Ukraine’s limited supply of Patriot air defense missiles provided by the US, which have a limited range. These ballistic missiles have the potential to cause significant damage throughout Ukraine.
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