What Are the Iranian Drones Russia Is Using in Ukraine?

In response to military setbacks in other parts of Ukraine, Russia used single-use drones to attack central Kyiv Oct. 17. The drones, according to Ukraine and the US, are supplied by Iran.

Named the Shahed-136, they’re sometimes called “kamikaze” drones because they aren’t designed to survive their mission. But they are really more guided missiles than airplanes, and all missiles are kamikazes. Because the Shahed-136s are fitted with swept wings and a propeller motor, they can loiter for hours before locking onto a target and striking. While new to the war in Ukraine, the Shahed comes from a family of slow, low-flying projectiles that have been around since the 1980s, upgraded primarily by the inclusion of commercial GPS systems available on Alibaba. The name can mean martyr in Persian.