Both the military official and the website said Ukrainian troops spotted the drone near Kupyansk in eastern Ukraine. The recording indicated that the aircraft was shot down by Ukrainian forces and did not explode on impact as intended. They identified one label as “M214 Geran-2”, which did not directly match well-known Russian weapons. The authorities did not release any further information.
US intelligence services publicly warned as early as July that Tehran wanted to send hundreds of these bomb-capable drones to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. Iran initially denied it, but in recent days the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has boasted that it is arming the world’s greatest powers.
Iran has several versions of the “Shahed”. It is believed that the drone has a range of about 2000 kilometers. It flies to a destination, likely programmed before launch, and then explodes either in mid-air over the target or on impact.