Russian forces attack Kyiv with Iranian suicide drones... "Residents terrified by chainsaw sound"

'Shahed-136'... Low-altitude, low-speed, long-range flight
Distinctive loud noise heightens anxiety among Ukrainian residents

Photo of a drone taken seconds before an attack over Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on the 7th (local time). On this day, Russia attacked the Kyiv area using suicide drones. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Russia attacked Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, using Iranian-made suicide drones. These drones fly at low altitude and low speed while making a loud noise, increasing psychological anxiety among Kyiv residents.

On the 17th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) and The Washington Post (WP) reported that Russia attacked Kyiv with the Iranian-made suicide drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) 'Shahed-136.' On that day, a drone loaded with explosives fell on an apartment building in the Shevchenkivskyi district in the center of Kyiv, killing four civilians, including a six-month pregnant woman and a young couple, and injuring 19 people.

The Shahed-136 used by Russia in the attack is triangular in shape, with a fuselage length of 3.3 meters, a wingspan of 2.4 meters, and weighs about 200 kg. It carries a warhead weighing about 40 kg at the front of the fuselage. Its flight range reaches approximately 2,400 km, enabling long-range operations.

On the 17th (local time), a sunflower oil storage tank in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, was set on fire by a Russian suicide drone attack. Ukrainian authorities estimate that the suicide drone was an Iranian-made Shahed-136. Photo by Yonhap News Agency, Public Relations Office of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine

This drone flies at a relatively low altitude at a maximum speed of about 185 km/h and causes damage by directly colliding with detected targets. The NYT analyzed, "Although it is slower than other drones and can be easily hit by conventional air defense systems, the Russian military has succeeded by deploying a large number of drones simultaneously."

The distinctive loud noise, similar to the sound of a chainsaw, increases psychological anxiety among Kyiv residents. Samuel Bendett, a researcher at CNA, a think tank headquartered in Virginia, USA, described the Shahed-136 as "both a military weapon and a psychological weapon."

Meanwhile, Iran claims it has not supplied drones to Russia, but the Ukrainian government has identified that Russia brought in 2,400 Iranian-made drones in August. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated during a video conference with the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) on the 11th, "There is information that Russia has used over 100 cruise missiles and dozens of drones including the Iranian-made suicide drone Shahed-136, and has ordered an additional 2,400 Shahed-136 drones."