Recently, more and more Russian attacks with so-called kamikaze drones have been observed in southern Ukraine, in the area around Odessa, but also outside Kharkiv in the eastern part of the country.
Kamikaze drones, or as it is called in English, loitering munitions, are drones that circle around in the air and on their own look for pre-programmed targets.
The drones crash into the target and explode, hence the nickname "kamikaze drones".
Own drones were substandard
In the past, the US has sent hundreds of drones of this type to Ukraine, Switchblade 300, Switchblade 600 and Phoenix Ghost.
Russia has previously used self-made drones, but which have not been sufficiently accurate.
At a recent meeting in Moscow for the development of drones, a representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Igor Isyuk, noted that there is a crying need for various types of drones, but that the domestic manufacturers do not meet the military requirements for technical and tactical capabilities.
"Indicates desperation"
New strongly suggests that Russia is using drones purchased from Iran.
But at a press conference at the US Department of Defense Pentagon on September 30, the significance was played down.
Iran also suffers from sanctions and several components of the drones are not very technologically advanced.
- This indicates desperation on the Russian side, says Sasha Baker, spokesperson at the Pentagon.
She adds that the Russian military suffers from major shortages of materiel and that this forces them to rely on unreliable countries such as Iran.
Because according to her, the drones have not led to the successes that Russia might have hoped for.
- We have seen evidence that the drones from Iran have already been responsible for several failures on the battlefield in Ukraine.