The Kremlin continues to utilise unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) developed in Iran, the Shahed-136, to hit targets within Ukrainian territory, according to the United Kingdom's most recent report on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“However, Ukrainian efforts to defeat the Shahed-136 UAVs are increasingly successful, with official sources, including President Zelensky, claiming that up to 85% of the attacks are being intercepted,” the United Kingdom's defence ministry tweeted.
In addition to calling Ukraine's air defence systems "increasingly effective," the Defense HQ claimed that Moscow is substituting these drones for the increasingly hard to find long-range precision weaponry built in Russia.
Kamikaze drones are another name for the Shahed-136 UAVs. The Kremlin deployed them for the first time on October 17 in an attack on central Kyiv, days after an explosion damaged the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia and Crimea.