Iranian-made drones supplied to Russia were modified to meet President Vladimir Putin's needs and to "ensure maximum damage to targets," according to a new report.
On Thursday, the U.K.-based organization Conflict Armament Research published a report about Iranian-made Shahed-131 drones believed to be used by Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
"In January 2023, a CAR field investigation team documented the warhead of an Iranian Shahed-131 single-use UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle]. This is the first time that analysis of these warheads has been released in the public domain. CAR's analysis shows that this multipurpose warhead was designed to ensure maximum damage to targets such as critical infrastructure, while also having a significant impact on the ability to undertake quick repair efforts," the report said.
The report comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine nears its one-year mark, as Putin initially announced the "special military operation" on February 24, 2022. Amid the ongoing war, there have been numerous reports of Iran supplying Russia with Shahed-131 and 136 drones.
The deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Vadym Skibitsky, said this week that Russia was planning to "swarm" Ukraine with Iranian-made Shahed drones.
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