With its kamikaze drones, Iran is getting closer to Russia and getting involved in the war

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They are delta-wing shaped – like a wide, flat triangle – and are easy to spot as they fly low, with the loud noise of a moped or lawnmower engine. The Ukrainian media have given this drone the nickname “flying balalaika” because of its shape reminiscent of the traditional Slavic musical instrument.

Launched from Belarus or Crimea, these drones fly at more than 180km/h straight towards their target, locked by GPS coordinates before takeoff; it is by crashing that they release their explosive charge. Monday, October 17 in kyiv, a single such device killed four people in an apartment building.

The Russian army had several hundred delivered to it this summer. Shahed-136, (“martyr” in Farsi) which she surprisingly renamed Geranium-2. The very first was seen on September 13; since then there are more of them in the Ukrainian skies every day.

These drones, Russia is not able to manufacture them itself. This testifies to the impact of sanctions and export controls imposed by Western countries: its arms industry is weakened, disorganized, lacks electronic components, personnel too – which also makes it dependent on South Korea. North.

These drones are not high-tech devices, on the contrary, they are quite rudimentary. Iran even manages to manufacture them in large quantities (sometimes to the detriment of their reliability), at 20,000 dollars each: much cheaper than cruise missiles costing two million dollars.

Sent in packets, simultaneously as Monday, October 17 to the capital or the previous Monday throughout the country, these drones can occasionally give the advantage to the Russian army. But according to military experts they are not really likely to change the course of the war.

Nevertheless, they lead to the involvement of Iran in the conflict. For Ukraine, “supply weapons to Russia” is “an act of hostilityIn retaliation, the country has already withdrawn its accreditation from the Iranian ambassador and reduced its diplomatic staff in Tehran at the end of September.

To go further, kyiv demands more material from its allies. Because sometimes, it is with their simple service weapons that the police or the military try to stop the devices. Often without success.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cited Russia’s recent airstrikes to ask NATO countries to provide his country with advanced air defense systems. Ukraine is now calling for more economic sanctions against Iran.

Message received five out of five in Washington. “The strengthening of the alliance between Russia and Iran should be considered by the whole world (…) as a serious danger“said the State Department spokesman, who therefore brandished the threat of sanctions against individuals, companies or states participating in the Iranian drone program. Moscow and Tehran, pariahs on the international scene, have come closer to the favor of war, to the point of becoming true allies.

Reason for Antony Blinken to provide “everything possible” to Ukraine before winter. Because with these drones, the Russians “attack critical infrastructure“said the Secretary of State: power stations, hospitals…”which people need in their daily lives and which are not military targets“. “It’s a sign of desperation on the part of Russia,” adds Antjony Blinken, who responded to reporters from Stanford University in California.

According the washington postwhich is based on statements by security officials from the United States and its allies, Iran would even strengthen its commitment by agreeing to send not only drones, but also Iranian-made surface-to-surface missiles, intended for use against cities and Ukrainian troop positions.

On September 18, Tehran sent officials to Russia to finalize these deliveries. These would be the first deliveries of such missiles to Russia since the start of the war, potentially giving Russia powerful new weapons at a time when kyiv forces reclaim conquered territory in large swathes of the south and eastern Ukraine, successes due in part to artillery provided by the West. According to military experts, these projectiles are both powerful and relatively accurate at close range. Some models come with electro-optical guidance allowing the operator to steer the missile just before it hits its target.

Yet Tehran responds roughly: “It’s not me!” On several occasions already the authorities have denied any involvement. Iran’s Foreign Minister says that “the Islamic Republic of Iran has not and will not supply weapons for use in the war in Ukraine“. Hossein Amirabdollahian claims for his country “a policy of active neutrality“and denounce”unfounded information“, relayed by “foreign media propaganda“.

Faced with the Iranian drones that equip the Russians, the Ukrainians have Turkish-made drones, the Bayraktar – this is the name of President Erdogan’s son-in-law. And in this conflict where neither party has control of the sky, drones have also become a vector of influence.


source site-25