Iran appears to be modifying the strike drones it is supplying Russia so that the explosive warheads can inflict maximum damage on infrastructure targets inside Ukraine, according to a new investigative report obtained exclusively by Iran. CNN .
Iran has given Russia hundreds of drones to use in the war, many of which are targeting Ukraine’s power grid and power facilities, with devastating effects.
Drone strikes, as well as Russian missile barrages, left civilians across the country without heat, electricity or running water during the winter months.
An unexploded warhead from an Iranian Shahed-131 drone found in the Odesa region of southern Ukraine in October 2022 was examined last month by UK-based investigative organization Conflict Armament Research (CAR), along with the Ukrainian military. CAR provided its findings firsthand to the CNN .
The warhead’s composition helps explain how the Russian attack on Ukraine’s power infrastructure in recent months has proved so effective.
The group’s analysts believe that the warheads, which measure just under half a meter in length, were hastily modified with ill-fitting layers of dozens of small metal fragments that, upon impact, are scattered over a large radius.
In addition to the fragments, there are also 18 smaller “charges” around the circumference of the warhead that, when melted by the explosion, can pierce armor and create a kind of “360 degree” explosive effect.
The accumulation of these elements basically maximizes the warhead’s ability to destroy targets such as power plants, distribution networks, transmission lines and large high-power transformers. They also make repair efforts substantially more difficult.
“It’s as if they looked at the finished warhead and said, ‘How can we make this even more destructive?’” said Damien Spleeters, one of the investigators who examined the warhead.
In October, Ukraine’s state power generator, Ukrenergo, claimed that around 40% of normal electricity supply was cut off as a result of Russian dams.
Furthermore, the damage is happening much faster than Ukraine can repair it. Sergey Kovalenko, CEO of energy provider YASNO, told the CNN in December that “Ukrainians will probably have to live with blackouts until at least the end of March”.
Warheads that target battlefield resources, such as tanks or artillery pieces, can be designed differently, Spleeters explained, with a frontal format payload, which is used for more concentrated targets.
The warhead examined by the CAR, however, has a radially shaped loading effect, which may result in a larger impact area.
Such as CNN previously reported, Iranian-made drones deployed in Ukraine were found to contain a significant amount of American and Western components, prompting the Biden administration to investigate how American technology is ending up in these weapons.
spleeters told CNN that examining the Shahed-131 warhead – the components of which have never been disclosed before – helped analysts better understand how Iran manufactures its drones.
“There was a lot of speculation that perhaps these explosives were too crude, cheap and simple,” he added. “But looking at the warhead, it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into ensuring it can inflict as much damage as possible to infrastructure over a large radius,” she warned.
Last month, the Institute for the Study of War found that Russian forces have become increasingly reliant on drones in their campaign against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure – so much so that their stockpile of the devices is already running out, just months after Iran started sending them.
Russia and Iran have agreed to set up a drone manufacturing facility inside Russia, which Western officials believe will allow the country to replenish its supply more quickly.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
