Ukrainian navy targets Russian drone facility in Krasnodar Krai
The Ukrainian Navy has released photos showing the effects of an attack conducted in cooperation with the local security service on one of the warehouses in Yeisk, located in the Russian Krasnodar Krai. According to the Defense Romania portal, the Ukrainians hit a facility where the Russians were storing Shahed-136 drones.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces, in cooperation with the Security Service, carried out a wide-ranging bombardment of Russian strategic facilities on the night of June 20, Eastern Time. Defense Romania reports that the Ukrainians targeted, among other things, four oil refineries in Russia and several radar stations.
During one of the recent attacks, the Russians also suffered losses in Krasnodar Krai, specifically in Yeisk on the Sea of Azov. In this region, the defending army hit one of the warehouses, which – as it turns out – is a facility where the Russians store Shahed-136 drones (known in Russia as Geran-2).
The facility also houses a command and communication point for the drone pilots, who launch them from Krasnodar Krai towards Ukraine. The exact losses are unknown as the Russians have not reported how many machines were damaged during the bombardment. However, satellite imagery confirms the accuracy of the Ukrainian strike.
Iranian drones used by the Russians
The Shaheds above, which the Russians store in the damaged facility in Yeisk, are weapons originating from Iran. They are manufactured by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation. In Russia, however, the Shahed-136 is known as Geran-2.
The history of this drone design goes back to the 1980s when the Republic of South Africa authorities decided to build an unmanned aerial vehicle as a primary tool for combating hostile radar stations. However, due to the ongoing Rhodesian war, they decided to sell the technical documentation to the Iranian manufacturer, which in the following years led to the development of the Shahed-131 and its larger variant, the Shahed-136.
The Shaheds currently being produced and used by the Russians are powered by a copy of the German Limbach L550E engine, the Mado MD550. The engine generates around 50 horsepower and accelerates the drone to approximately 185 km/h. According to some sources, the Geran-2 can reach a range of up to 2,000 km, but it is more likely around 1,000 km.
These drones measure approximately 3.4 meters in length with a wingspan (in a delta configuration) of 2.4 meters and weigh about 200 kilograms. The warhead itself accounts for approximately 40 kilograms. It is also worth noting that at the beginning of 2024, the Ukrainians intercepted a new version of the Iranian Shahed-136, which included Russian Kometa receivers. These receivers are developed with small drones in mind and help mitigate jamming by enemy electronic systems. This discovery suggests that the Russians may be independently modernizing Iranian drones.
