As the war in Ukraine has barreled into nineth month, the world by now has already witnessed how Russia lately has increased its dependence on the Iranian portable aerial killers, the Kamikaze drones.
On Thursday morning in fact, Ukraine's capital region Kyiv was struck by the Iranian-made kamikaze drones. Rescue workers have already rushed to the scene as residents awoke to air raid sirens for the fourth morning in a row following Russia's massive, deadly assault across the country on Monday.
Early morning attacks on Ukraine's southern front have become a daily occurrence as Kyiv's forces push a counteroffensive aimed at recapturing territory occupied by Russia.
Russia escalates usage of Kamikaze drones
Ukraine's military said this week that its current air defenses have shot down dozens of incoming Russian missiles and Shahed-136 drones, the so-called kamikaze drones that have played an increasingly deadly role in the war.
According to Col. Rodion Kulagin, commander of artillery of Ukraine’s 92nd Mechanized Brigade, over the past week, the Shahed-136 delta-wing drones, popularly known as the 'Kamikaze Drones' have started hovering over Ukrainian armor and artillery positions frequently in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
He also added that the Iranian drones have destroyed two 152-mm self-propelled howitzers, two 122-mm self-propelled howitzers, as well as two BTR armored infantry vehicles within his opeartional are alone.
Before finalizing the deployment of current wide-scale use of the killer drones, Russia conducted a test last month, striking a U.S.-supplied M777 155-mm towed howitzer with the drone.
So far, the Kharkiv region of Ukraine has suffered the maximum impact of the Iranian drones where the 92nd Brigade and other Ukrainian forces carried out a major offensive this month, retaking some 8,500 square kilometers of land occupied by Russia. In the same mission, Ukraine also seized hundreds of Russian tanks, artillery pieces and armored carriers.
All about the drone- What makes it deadly weapon?
The aerial warriors also commonly known as the 'loitering munitions', possess a very long list of cutting-edge technological advantages which are primarily responsible for its 'deadly' reputation.
The drones explode on impact after entering the targeted troop, armour or building.
From being able to hover in air for hours and circle over the pin-pointed targets as an embodiment of its tactical precision, to the using real-time GPS coordinates and video for low collateral effects alongside precise targeting, the weapon has got a lot to offer.
AeroVironment, the manufacturer, says that the Switchblade 300 cruises at around 100 km/h while carrying cameras, guidance systems and explosives to dive-bomb into its target. It can fly for up to 15 minutes and 10 km before striking.
The launching modus operandi initiates from a tube while its compact size gives it the edge to take off from a variety of air, sea, and ground platforms. The entire packaging of the kit inclusive of the payload, launcher and transport bag weighs 2.5 kgs only.
The Switchblades, unlike its contemporaries, also have the agility and reflex to abort a mission and switch to a different one upon the opeartor's command which ensures that the strikes can be called off at the very last minute if they endanger civilians or properties nearby.
According AeroVironment, the larger Switchblade 600, is a next-generation modified loitering missile with the ability to destroy armoured targets like tanks and can be set up in less than 10 minutes.
The drone operator uses a tablet-based touchscreen fire-control system with the option to pilot the missile manually.
