Russia has begun to use own made Shaheds, - British intelligence

Russia has almost certainly begun using one way attack Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (OWA-UAV) of its own production, based on Iranian Shahed developments.

This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defense on Twitter.

According to the summary, Russian forces have been importing Iranian-made systems since September 2022. Indigenous manufacturing will likely allow Russia to establish a more reliable supply of OWA-UAVs.

The performance of these weapons has been variable and Ukraine has proved effective in neutralizing the majority of incoming UAVs.

"Russia likely aims for self-sufficiency in OWA-UAVs in the coming months. However, in the interim, Russia remains reliant on components and whole weapons from Iran, primarily shipped via the Caspian Sea," the British Ministry of Defense said.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 16/08/2023