Russia has started using cheap drones against Ukraine: the DIU told about their purpose

Russia has started using new, cheap drones made of foam and plywood in its long-range attacks against Ukraine. They are equipped with cameras and Ukrainian SIM cards, look like Shaheds, and fly in groups, but do not carry explosives. The goal of the occupiers is to try to detect air defense systems, repair any damage, and use drones as a distraction.

Andrii Cherniak, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, told Reuters. According to him, the two new types of UAVs that Russia has used in five attacks over the past two to three weeks, including a night strike on Thursday, July 25, are made of materials such as foam and plywood.

One type is equipped with a camera and a Ukrainian SIM card to send photos to the Russian military.

"They are determining where our mobile groups are located, where the machine guns are that can destroy them. They are trying to... get an idea of where all our air defense assets are located," Cherniak said.

Cherniak's previously unknown details are further evidence that Russia is seeking to adapt its tactics and test new technologies to gain an advantage in its daily missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, Reuters reports.

The Iranian-developed Shaheds, which fly to a target and explode on impact, have been a staple of Russian air attacks since they were first used in the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Ukraine, which since March has been asking the West for more air defense equipment to repel Russia's increasingly frequent air strikes on its energy facilities, is trying hard to hide the location of its air defense systems, the article says.

According to Cherniak, the new Russian drones with cameras do not carry explosives, but are very similar to conventional Shaheds and fly in groups.

The second new type of drone does not contain explosives or contains only a small charge and is used as a decoy, Cherniak said.

Since it is virtually indistinguishable from the ground from a conventional attack drone, it still needs to be shot down to reveal the location of Ukraine's air defense.

The new drones are likely to cost only $10,000 each, despite their long range, making them much cheaper to produce than air defense missiles, according to the DIU official.

The UAVs can also fly at an altitude of 1,000 meters, making them beyond the reach of machine guns and automatic rifles.

"Russia's invasion of Ukraine has become a testing ground for drone warfare technologies, with both sides making extensive use of attack and reconnaissance drones on the battlefield. Kyiv has invested in domestic drone production to close the gap between its strike capabilities and those of Moscow, organizing long-range drone attacks on Russian targets, including oil refineries," the Reuters article says.

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