According to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, Russia has integrated these drones into its broader attack strategy to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. The Iranian-produced Shahed 136 drones have become a persistent threat to both military and civilian targets. Carrying a payload of approximately 40 kilograms, these relatively inexpensive drones are capable of inflicting substantial damage on unprotected infrastructure.

This tactic has proven challenging for Ukraine, as the cost of shooting down cheap drones with expensive defensive missiles creates a significant resource imbalance.

Intelligence reports suggest that Russia may have begun domestic production of these drones in Tatarstan, potentially reducing its reliance on direct imports from Iran. However, the exact proportion of domestically manufactured versus imported drones remains unclear.

Adding to the concern, recent reports indicate that Iran has also supplied Russia with hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles. Western intelligence sources claim that up to 200 Fath-360 missiles have been delivered to Russia. Described as precision-guided, solid-fuel projectiles with bunker-busting capabilities, they are reportedly designed to resist electronic warfare measures, have a range of about 120 kilometers, and carry a 150-kilogram warhead.

Reuters reports that Russia has been developing a new long-range attack drone using Chinese engines and components. These new drones have reportedly been used in attacks against Ukraine and are expected to “decrease Russian dependence on Iranian drones.”

Meanwhile, the US and EU are considering a fresh new wave of sanctions this week in order to curb Iran’s ever-expanding influence in global affairs. Last week, the regime’s national airline ‘Iran Air’ was sanctioned by the E3, as well as Iranian officials and companies involved in the weapons transfers to Russia.