Russia Launches Large Air Attack With Iranian Drones

Russia launched 36 Iranian drones on Ukraine, Ukraine's Air Force said on Tuesday, adding that its air defense systems destroyed 27 of the air weapons.

The attacks with the Iran-made Shahed drones targeted the Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, the Air Force said on the Telegram messaging app. The attack on Odesa Oblast lasted for three hours, with transport infrastructure targeted.

On Oct. 8, the Air Force's spokesperson Yuri Ihnat said Russia will likely launch a record number of the Iranian-made drones in the coming fall and winter months.

The official pointed out that Russian forces launched over 500 Shahed-type drones in attacks against Ukraine in September alone.

Kherson region's administration said on its Telegram channel that over the past day, Russia carried out 79 instances of shelling including from mortars, artillery and with the use of drones, injuring four people and damaging several buildings.

Iran has supplied hundreds of the kamikaze Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to Russia since mid-2022, which Moscow has used extensively to target civilian infrastructure and cities.

The drones are also used during massive missile attacks to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. The drones are relatively cheap, costing around $20,000 each and Ukraine sometimes has to fire much more expensive anti-air missiles to bring them down.

Although Iran has been denying its supply of drones, and possibly other weapons to Russia, the United States and its NATO allies have imposed a series of sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the drone shipments.