Russia Is Devastating Ukraine With Iranian Shahed-136 Drones

Maya Carlin

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Over the last week alone, Russian Forces have fired 250-plus drones targeting Ukraine, marking a significant uptick in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) bombardments. According to Ukrainian officials, Moscow fired a total of 273 UAVs on May 18, making this the largest drone barrage since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion back in early 2023. This hefty barrage occurred just one day prior to a scheduled phone call between U.S. president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin concerning a ceasefire. Moscow’s continued use of Iranian-produced Shahed drones is capable of overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses and further diminishing civilian morale through frequent barrages. These cheap, easily produced, lethal UAVs are now mass-produced in Russia and certainly play a major role in the ongoing conflict.

How did Moscow Acquire Iranian Shahed UAV?

Initially, Iranian officials persistently denied delivering suicide drones like the Shahed-136 to fuel Russia’s offensive war efforts in Ukraine. However, countless images and other footage prove the Shahed’s frequent deployment in the war. Back in 2022, the Biden administration divulged it had obtained satellite imagery showing Russian delegations visiting Iran’s Kashan airfield. Moscow’s procurement of Iranian-produced lethal drones is believed to have occurred shortly after.

In 2024, Russian state-run outlets published a video depicting a Shahed drone factory in Yelabuga. Russian-made versions of the Shahed can be identified in the video, and the sheer number of these UAVs depicted demonstrated Moscow’s massive UAV stockpile. Today, Moscow uses a combination of smuggled Western electronics and imported Chinese components to mass-produce these lethal drones. As detailed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Russia’s reliance on Shahed drones is based largely on price. Each UAV is priced at roughly $20,000-50,000, and Russia tolerates a loss rate of more than 75 percent as it opts to saturate Ukrainian air defenses.