APU is more effective in shooting down Iranian kamikaze drones in Mykolaiv region. This is due to a number of objective circumstances that affect the “performance” of the Ukrainian military.
To counter the new threat, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to adapt their weapons to military needs. Vitaly Kim, the head of the Nikolaev OVA, told about this to channel 24.
The head of the Nikolaev OVA noted that in the Nikolaev region, most Iranian kamikaze drones are shot down due to the fact that there are many of them and The Armed Forces have learned how to shoot them down.
Drones fly out of the temporarily occupied territory and look for ways to how to bypass our air defense, so they fly through the Nikolaev region, where they are more shot down. If they had flown further, I believe that they would have been shot down there too. We and they are learning. The occupiers are trying to bypass the air defense, we are trying to “catch” them – this is such an “anti-shahed fight“, Kim explained.
According to him, this is why the Armed Forces of Ukraine are developing this direction today , add air defense forces, including large-caliber small arms .
“At first, “Shaheds” were developed as training targets for anti-aircraft guns. Then they were converted into kamikazes. This means that they can be shot down with small arms. Almost no one uses it anymore, but you have to return to the past, getting it and “working” with drones is such a reality,” the official added.
Where the Russians are planning to attack with kamikaze drones: watch the video
He indicated that Iranian drones have a long range, so they can fly everywhere.
“Drones want to fly through the Mykolaiv region and at the same time reconnoiter the presence of air defense. Today they want to fly to the western or eastern parts of Ukraine and thus have a certain route. But we also see this and draw the necessary conclusions,” Kim summed up.
Iran supplies drones to Russia: what is known
- In early August, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Iran could send UAVs to Russia for field tests. And, they say, the Russians began training with Iranian drones.
- On August 30, representatives of the Joe Biden administration told reporters that the Russians had taken some of the drones from the Iranian airfield and had already delivered them to Russia.
- Already in September, the Ukrainian military began to shoot down Iranian drones, which the Russians mark with other brands.
- Due to the use of Iranian drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed the Foreign Ministry to respond to this. Subsequently, Ukraine decided to deprive the Iranian ambassador to Ukraine of accreditation and reduce the personnel of the Iranian embassy.
- At the same time, Tehran denied all accusations and started talking about “external influence” on relations with Ukraine from third countries.
- Subsequently, Ukraine responded to Iran's position, emphasizing that the only “third party” is the Iranian drones that the Ukrainian Armed Forces shoot down in our skies. Kyiv is sure that only Tehran bears full responsibility for the destruction of relations with Ukraine.
- According to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia ordered 2,400 Shahed kamikaze drones from Iran.
