Latest news with #Shahed136
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Russian Drone Made Completely Of Chinese Components: Ukrainian Intelligence
Russia is now using decoy drones with 100% of its components made in China, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) claimed on Tuesday. While Russian weapons have long contained parts from China as well as many other nations, this marks likely the first time one of its drones is completely made up of Chinese parts. The discovery is additional proof of Beijing's growing support for Moscow's war in Ukraine. The drone in question is a new decoy Russia is using to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, according to GUR. The delta-winged weapon loosely resembles the infamous Shahed-136 drone, but is much smaller, according to GUR. In addition to serving as a decoy, this drone may also pack a warhead weighing up to 15 kilos (about 33 pounds). As we reported yesterday, Russia is already overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses with more drones and improved tactics. 'All components and blocks [in the new drones] are of Chinese origin,' according to GUR's War&Sanctions project, which maintains a database of thousands of foreign components found in Russian weapons. ❗ GUR publishes components of a new Russian UAV used as a decoy and reconnaissance, it can also carry a warhead weighing up to 15 kg. ▪ All components and blocks are of Chinese origin. ▪ The UAV is also equipped with a Chinese copy of Australian RFD900x data transmission… — MAKS 25 ���� �� (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) July 22, 2025 GUR recovered at least two of these drones, the second of which contained two components of unknown origin. Nearly half of the parts in the first drone come from one company, CUAV Technology. Those parts include a flight controller with an autopilot, navigation modules and antennas, and an airspeed sensor with a pilot tube, GUR stated. The company is 'a National High-Tech Enterprise and Guangdong Provincial Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative Enterprise specializing in open-source unmanned systems technology,' according to the CUAV Technology Co. website. 'It integrates R&D, production, and sales.' The discovery of these CUAV Technology Co. components came even though the company announced restrictions on the supply of products to Ukraine and Russia in October 2022. The stated goal was to prevent their use for military purposes, GUR noted. 'However, in 2023, the Russian Federation presented a vertical take-off UAV of allegedly its own design, which turned out to be a CUAV Technology product available on AliExpress,' GUR added. The new Russian decoy drone is different because instead of being an off-the-shelf purchase, it represents a new method of indigenous production. The War Zone cannot independently verify these claims. We've reached out to CUAV Technology Co. and GUR for more details and will update this story with any pertinent information provided. Some of the Chinese components found in a new Russian decoy drone. (GUR) GUR's findings about the new Russian decoy drone come as Moscow is increasingly relying on Beijing to provide technology for its drones, especially artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Last month, GUR found that a Russian V2U barrage drone used in the Sumy region could autonomously search and select targets using AI. The V2U relied on the Chinese Leetop A203 minicomputer and a central processor with an American NVIDIA Jetson Orin module. We first wrote about how AI would make drones even deadlier last year, which you can read about here. Russia is also relying on China to help extend the range of its fiber-optic controlled drones by providing spools allowing those weapons to reach as far as 50km (about 31 miles). The increased reach gives the Russians a big advantage for a system that is already creating havoc for Ukrainian forces. Fiber optics are used by both sides because it makes drones impervious to jamming and other forms of electronic warfare and helps mitigate the effects of terrain that can also interfere with radio control. Chinese working on Russian drones say they now have 50km fiber optic cables. Ukraine is fighting every enemy of western civilization while the US is increasingly on the side of the bad guys. — Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) June 5, 2025 This new decoy drone is one of many Russian weapons relying on foreign parts. However, previous recoveries by GUR show a wider range of origin for components. For instance, a Russian Shahed-136 strike drone GUR obtained contained dozens of components from the U.S. as well as parts from Iran, Taiwan and other nations. Last year, we noted that GUR found dozens of foreign components in a Russian S-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter-B) flying wing unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) downed in a case of friendly fire. S-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter-B) flying wing unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV). Russian MOD Screenshot/via Other Russian weapons, like the Banderol S-8000 cruise missile, contain parts from Switzerland, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea as well as the U.S. and China, according to the GUR database. In the very early days of the all-out invasion, GUR shared with us a list of several weapons packed with foreign chips. They were found inside a recovered example of the 9S932-1, a radar-equipped air defense command post vehicle that is part of the larger Barnaul-T system, a Pantsir air defense system, a Ka-52 'Alligator' attack helicopter, and a Kh-101 (AS-23A Kodiak) cruise missile. These parts all found their way into Russian weapons despite international sanctions designed to prevent that from happening. Beyond components, China appears to have provided Russia with at least some complete weapons systems. In May, we reported that Russia was using a new Chinese laser system to shoot down Ukrainian drones. The system seen in a video posted to Telegram appeared to be at least extremely similar to a system Beijing has apparently already provided to Iran, which you can read more about here. However, it remains unclear how widely this system is being fielded by Russia. You can see images and video of those systems below. While the sensor arrangement seems to have been altered, the system observed in Russian service strongly resembles the Chinese Shen Nung 3000/5000 anti-drone laser. — Fabian Hinz (@fab_hinz) May 31, 2025 Russia's growing reliance on China for technology comes as the two nations are drawing closer in what can be described as a relationship of convenience to challenge the U.S. and its allies. Officially, China has expressed neutrality in this conflict; however, its actions say otherwise. Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union's top diplomat that Beijing can't accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine because it could allow the U.S. to turn its full attention to China, CNN reported. The network cited an official briefed on the talks. The Chinese foreign minister's admission came during what the official said was 'a four-hour meeting with EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas' in Brussels that 'featured tough but respectful exchanges, covering a broad range of issues from cyber security, rare earths to trade imbalances, Taiwan and Middle East.' The official said Wang's private remarks suggested Beijing 'might prefer a protracted war in Ukraine that keeps the United States from focusing on its rivalry with China,' CNN added. 'Wang's comments echo concerns of critics of China's policy that Beijing has geopolitically much more at stake in the Ukrainian conflict than its admitted position of neutrality.' China's assistance to Russia differs from what North Korea is providing in terms of missiles, artillery, millions of rounds of shells and more than 11,000 troops fighting against Ukraine. However, the electronics flowing from China are critical to Russia's military-industrial complex. Given that Russia has had time to shift its supply chain to Chinese sources while simultaneously spinning up its economy into a wartime configuration, it is likely we will see many more of these components installed throughout Moscow's arsenal. Contact the author: howard@
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Putin's 'dark destroyer' factory: Inside 'world's biggest drone plant' in Russia where army of teens make kamikaze killing machines to unleash on Ukraine
Russia has revealed what it claims is the largest drone production facility in the world. Located in a highly secretive complex in Yelabuga, Tatarstan, it employs teenagers to help build lethal kamikaze drones used in strikes on Ukraine. Footage broadcast by the Russian military's Zvezda TV channel shows rows of Gen-2 drones lined up inside the plant, ready to be deployed. The unnamed aerial vehicles are Russian-made versions of Iran 's Shahed-136 and have been used in deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities. Their black matte paint is designed to reduce visibility during night-time missions and evade air defence detection. The Alabuga plant is more than 1,000 kilometres from Ukraine's border and is part of a state-run special economic zone. Its director has boasted that production has exceeded expectations. Some reports suggest up to 18,000 units were built in the first half of 2025 alone. It's been reported that teenage students from the nearby Alabuga Polytechnic College are being trained in weapons manufacturing from the age of 14 or 15. Once they complete their education, many transition directly to the factory floor to join the assembly line. Footage shows these teenagers working on components, programming drones, and carrying out testing tasks, their faces blurred to conceal identities. Critics say this represents a dangerous militarisation of education, where children are being groomed into the defence industry and made to contribute directly to a brutal war. Reports from Russian media and leaked testimonies reveal that students are subjected to long working hours, sometimes without breaks, and are paid modest wages of about $335 to $445 per month. Contracts ban them from speaking about their work and impose severe financial penalties of up to $22,000 for violations. Families who resist or refuse participation can be forced to repay thousands of dollars in training costs, with surveillance reportedly used to enforce compliance. The drones produced at Alabuga have a range of up to 1,800 kilometres and are equipped with warheads capable of inflicting widespread destruction. Although Russia insists its drone strikes only target military sites, Ukraine and international observers accuse Moscow of using them to terrorise civilians. Kyiv has repeatedly reported drone attacks on residential areas, including the capital, where people take cover in underground shelters during nightly bombardments. The factory has also been linked to high-profile drone launches using repurposed American pickup trucks, which have been filmed carrying and firing the Geran-2. Russian state media showcased this as part of a broader campaign to boost public support for the war effort. President Vladimir Putin has called for an urgent increase in drone production, claiming more than 1.5 million unmanned systems were built last year. It is not the first time there has been news of children being used in Russia's war. Last month, Georgetown University published that thousands of children abducted from Ukrainian villages were being forcibly turned into soldiers.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia appears to be launching its exploding Shahed-style drones from American-designed pickup trucks
Russia's defense ministry released new footage of its massive factory making Shahed-style drones. The footage showed how the drones can be launched from the bed of pickup trucks. Iranian-made Shahed drones and homemade Russian versions have been used in worsening attacks against Ukraine. Newly aired state media footage showed Russia operating what look to be American-designed Ram pickup trucks with Shahed-style drones ready for launch in the back. Zvezda, the Russian defense ministry's TV channel, released a video on Sunday spotlighting the large Yelabuga drone factory in the Tatarstan region, which is where the domestically produced version of the Shahed-136 is built. While the footage primarily focuses on intricate manufacturing processes inside the sprawling factory, it also offers insight into how the deadly and highly destructive drones, known by the Russian designation Geran-2, can be launched. The video shows at least one clearly identified American-designed Ram truck, with a drone mounted on the bed, charging down a runway-style strip of road surrounded by large mounds of dirt that could be designed to protect the site from attacks. Additional frames in the footage show several drones taking off from unidentified black trucks with steep climbs, resembling airplanes. At another point, the video shows five stationary black pickup trucks, all with drones mounted on the back. It also reveals the storage shelters in which the drones are kept before their potential use in the strikes against Ukraine. Like other truck-mounted launchers, the vehicles provide a flexible and mobile launch option. The exact make and model of all the pickup trucks featured in Zvezda's footage are unclear. Stellantis, a multinational automotive group that owns Ram, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The Iranian-made Shahed-136 is a one-way attack drone, or loitering munition, that can linger in the air for a period of time before diving down at its target and exploding on impact. Russia started using the Iranian-imported Shaheds to attack Ukraine in 2022, but it has since started producing them at home. The Yelabuga factory — which is more than 1,000 miles from Ukraine's border — opened in 2023, allowing Moscow to rapidly scale up drone production without relying on Tehran. Ukraine has targeted the Yelabuga factory with long-range drones on multiple occasions. Russia uses the Shahed-style drones in nightly attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. The bombardments have grown in size in recent months, with some consisting of hundreds of attack and decoy drones — the latter are designed to exhaust Kyiv's increasingly strained air defenses. Some recent Western assessments suggest that Moscow may eventually be able to launch thousands of drones in a single night, a bombardment that could greatly overwhelm Ukraine's already heavily exhausted air defenses. Ukrainians have said Russia has introduced new tactics with its Shaheds, making their attacks more complicated, and have modified the drones to make them deadlier, including by swapping out the standard explosive payloads for thermobaric warheads. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Metro
3 days ago
- Politics
- Metro
First look inside Putin's secret 'death' factory where teenagers assemble drones
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Vladimir Putin has pulled back the curtain on what has been described as the 'largest and most secret' drone factory ahead of a joint naval drill with Iran. Footage – a blend of Cold War secrecy and TikTok-era propaganda – offers a rare glimpse of the Yelabuga production facility in the Russian republic of Tatarstan. Recorded by Zvezda, the Russian defence ministry's TV channel, it shows the star of Putin's war in Ukraine – the 'Geran-2' drones. This is the Kremlin's locally branded version of Iranian-designed Shahed 136. Depending on the design, the long-range exploding aircraft has a range of 600 to 1,200 miles. Timur Shagivaliev, CEO of the Yelabuga Special Economic Zone, told the channel: 'This is the largest such plant in the world and the most secret. 'At one time, the plan was to produce several thousand (Geran drones) – now we are producing nine times more than planned.' As part of its efforts to scale up development of drones to catch up with Ukraine, Russia now produces more than 5,000 long-range drones each month. Above the entrance to the factory, a giant screen read, 'Kurchatov, Korolyov and Stalin are living in your DNA,' featuring portraits of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, Soviet nuclear physicist Igor Kurchatov and the father of the Soviet space programme Sergei Korolev. But perhaps the most surreal detail is not the scale of the drone operation at Yelabuga and who is building them. Teenagers – some barely old enough to drive – have bee recruited to work on the assembly lines at the factory. They are shown working at various stages of the production process, highlighting a recruitment programme targeting students as young as 15 from local technical colleges. 'There are young people, boys and girls, both working here and studying here in the college created by the same people who organised the production of Gerans,' a voiceover in the Zvezda video says. 'They invite schoolchildren here immediately after the ninth grade [aged 15 and 16], and after college they invite them to the plant. 'Vladimir Putin has noted the experience of Yelabuga and even called for its replication.' The drone production – using modified Shahed 136 technology – is another sign of the deepening cooperation between Russia and Iran. Bonded over mutual hatred for the West and shared isolation, both nations have traded military technology and intelligencesince the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. To underscore this relationship further, the two have launched a joint naval drill in the Caspian Sea. More Trending The CASAREX 2025 will be held under the slogan 'Together for a Safe and Secure Caspian Sea' and will take place over three days. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported: 'The primary goal of the operation is to reinforce maritime safety and security while fostering greater cooperation among the naval forces of these countries.' It is still unclear what vessels will be involved in the operation, but the Caspian Sea hold major strategic importance for both Russia and Iran as a secure, sanctions-free zone, away from Western eyes. It also serves as a vital logistics and trade corridor, linking both nations. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Moscow airports in chaos after fourth night of Ukraine drone strikes on city MORE: Tsunami threat looms over Russia and Hawaii after series of earthquakes MORE: War planes scrambled over Nato country after Russia launches latest barage
Forbes
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Russia Upgrades Shahed Drones, Adopts New Tactics In Ukraine
Ukrainian explosives experts and police officers examine parts of a Shahed 136 military drone ... More following an air-attack in Kharkiv on June 4, 2025. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK / AFP) (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images The Iranian Shahed-136 is part of the pantheon of drones that have come to define the modern battlefield. This drone, sometimes referred to as the Geran-2 when used by Russia, has become a central part of Russia's drone campaign against Ukraine. Its relatively low cost, long range, and substantial payload have made it a versatile tool for both deep strikes and tactical operations. Despite its widespread use, Ukraine has grown increasingly effective at countering these drones. In response, Russia is fielding new variants of the Shahed drone and adopting new tactics to overcome Ukrainian defenses. Given the widespread use of the Shahed by Russian forces, Ukraine has implemented a systematic approach to counter them. Last year, the Russians began including decoy drones with their Shahed drones to increase the likelihood of evading Ukrainian defenses. Regardless, Ukraine has been effective at neutralizing both the decoys and the Shaheds using a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. For example, during a barrage on January 25, 2025, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 61 drones. None reached their targets. Fifteen were jammed, and the remaining 46 were shot down. Screen captures from social media videos of Shahed drones being shot down by a MIG-29 (left) and ... More from a Mi-24 Hind (right) Social Media Capture In general, Ukrainian electronic warfare systems are able to jam approximately half of the incoming drones, especially those flying at lower altitudes. These electronic warfare systems are continuously upgraded to exploit communication vulnerabilities in Russian drones. For those drones that are not jammed, Ukrainian forces respond based on the drone's altitude. Several videos on social media show Ukrainian Mi-24 Hinds and MiG-29s trailing behind and shooting down Shahed drones at higher altitudes. Meanwhile, mobile fire groups use vehicle-mounted machine guns to target lower-flying drones. However, the effectiveness of the Shahed has recently increased. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 71 Shahed and decoy drones on June 25, 2025. Of these, 32 were shot down, 20 were jammed, and 19 reached their targets. This trend, which began a few months ago, reflects a shift in both technology and tactics, with a growing number of drones successfully penetrating Ukrainian defenses. Ukrainian reports indicate that the newest Shahed drones may have undergone structural changes that have improved their survivability. Most notably, the engine compartment has been reinforced with armor to better withstand machine gun fire. Additionally, the fuel tanks, which were previously located in the wings, have been moved into the drone's hull. In earlier versions, a single shot to the wing or engine was often enough to bring the drone down. With these modifications, the drone can sustain more hits to its wings or body and still stay aloft, continuing its flight to its target. Social media post attributed to Ukrainian anti-aircraft gun commander discussing the new tactics and ... More technologies employed by the Shaheds. Social Media Capture Another significant upgrade is the addition of submunitions. Instead of simply crashing into a target and detonating on impact, some variants are now able to release smaller submunitions during flight. This enhancement reduces the need for pinpoint accuracy and expands the drone's tactical utility. The submunitions can be dispersed over a wide area, making them effective against troop concentrations and lightly fortified positions. They can also be released at any point during the drone's flight path, allowing for more flexible targeting. In the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, Ukrainian forces have reported disorienting encounters with these drones, noting that 'you don't even hear them fall, and then 20 minutes after the flight, an explosion occurs.' Russia's New Tactics For Employing the Shahed Drones In addition to physical upgrades, Russian forces have also adopted new tactics for deploying Shahed drones. One such tactic involves launching the drones in pairs, with one flying at a low altitude and the other at a higher altitude. The lower-flying drone effectively shields the higher-flying drone, causing Ukrainian detection systems to register only a single target. The higher-flying drone often remains undetected until the lower one is neutralized, giving it more time in the air and increasing the likelihood of reaching its intended target. Firefighters extinguish the flames, following a Russian attack with 20 Shahed Drones, in Kharkiv, ... More Ukraine, on May 6, 2025. (Photo by Pavlo Pakhomenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Russia is also pairing Shahed drones with Lancet drones. The Lancet is a smaller loitering munition that has been in service since 2020 and has undergone a number of upgrades. Its compact size makes it more difficult to detect and harder to hit with machine guns than the much larger Shaheds. As a group Shahed drones approach their targets, the accompanying Lancet seeks out the Ukrainian ground-based counter-drone teams responsible for intercepting drones. By striking these teams, the Lancet helps clear the way for the Shaheds to reach their targets without interference. Ukraine's Response To The Updated Shahed Drone As a larger number of Shahed drones are now reaching their targets, Ukrainian forces will need to adjust their tactics and counter-drone systems. Their engineers are likely already adapting drone detection systems to reduce the shielding effect created when two drones fly together at different altitudes. Meanwhile, the ground-based counter-drone teams may also modify their vehicles to be less susceptible to Lancet strikes and begin using more powerful rifles capable of causing greater damage to the drones. Ukraine has also pursued other measures to mitigate the Shahed threat. In particular, they recently carried out a strike on one of the factories that produces these drones. Underlying the larger conflict is a constant race for drone superiority. Both Russia and Ukraine are rapidly adapting their drone and counter-drone technologies in an effort to gain an edge. The latest modification to Shahed drone technology and tactics displays this cycle of innovation and response. The cycle will continue, and Ukraine will adjust its defenses, Russia will continue to evolve its drones and tactics in turn.
