Russia deploys fourth variant of Shahed drones in Ukraine
The Russians attacked Ukraine using a new version of the popular Shahed-136 drones. According to the Defense Express portal, this marks the fourth known variant of Iranian drones employed by the Russian Federation's army.
Russian forces continue to develop and expand the Shahed-136 drone arsenal, known in Russia as the Geran 2, which they use for coordinated attacks on Ukraine. During a recent attack on January 18, 2025, at Eastern Time (ET), Ukrainian air defense shot down a completely new variant of this drone. This is the fourth version, designated as series Ъ.
Russians are upgrading their kamikaze drones
In the photo shared by Defense Express, the drone is marked with Ъ and a serial number exceeding 200, indicating that over 200 units of this type have already been produced. There is no additional information available about this new variant.
Currently, most Shahed drones sent by Russia to Ukraine are marked as series Ы. At the end of December, one of them had the serial number "Ы 11934", suggesting that Russia may have achieved a monthly production of 2,000 Shaheds and produced approximately 10,000 in 2024.
The fourth variant of Shaheds
The discovery of the series Ъ signifies the fourth known variation of Shahed-136/131. Earlier versions include series M, followed by the upgraded Ы and K, with many components manufactured in Russia. It remains unknown what modifications were introduced in version Ъ.
The Russian military industry has introduced a series of improvements in all series since their first appearance on the Ukrainian front. Since the fall of 2024, Russians have systematically equipped Shaheds with thermobaric warheads, Starlink terminals and updated satellite navigation modules.
Iranian Shahed drones
It's worth noting that Shahed-136 drones are well-regarded for their simple design and relatively low production costs. The unit price of these unmanned aerial vehicles is about 20,000 dollars. These drones have a distinctive open-wing delta shape, measuring approximately 3.4 metres in length, with a wingspan of 2.4 metres. They can carry combat loads weighing up to 40 kilograms. The Limbach L550E engine used in them allows them to reach a maximum speed of about 185 kilometres per hour. This specification makes them effective in various military applications.
