Russian Shahed Drones Begin Striking Moving Targets

A new model of Russian Shahed drones, equipped with a night vision camera, was used to detect a Ukrainian transport train shortly before its movement.

A Russian state media channel released the footage of the incident.

According to the report, a group of drones operated by Russian forces targeted a train carrying fuel tanks about 150-200 kilometers from the border.

The first drone struck the locomotive, bringing the train to a halt, after which others targeted the platforms and tanks.

Notably, the drones encountered a pair of Ukrainian air defense helicopters during the operation, putting Ukrainian pilots at risk.

The enemy also reported that one of the strikes targeted nearby tanks carrying fuel and lubricants near the village of Bobrovytsia in Chernihiv region.

New Threat

The first usage of the Russian Shahed drones with optical systems and radio equipment was detected in June, when Ukrainian forces shot one of them down in the Sumy region.

Ukrainian defense intelligence said the drone showed Iranian design features in its fuselage materials, electronics, and other components. Officials stated that the model has since been localized and is being produced independently in Russia.

Inside the drone, investigators found an Nvidia Jetson Orin minicomputer used for video processing and autonomous search tasks.

However, public footage of the strikes suggests the drones had limited direct communication with operators, indicating the use of airborne or ground-based relay systems.

Militarnyi previously published documents on Russian-Iranian drone cooperation, including plans to demonstrate Shahed-236 drones with optical guidance and relay communication systems.

The Shahed-236 is a development of the Shahed-136, powered by an internal combustion engine. It can operate autonomously with a programmed guidance system or under operator control within several hundred kilometers.

A 2022 document described a drone system consisting of the Shahed-236, a relay drone, and a control station, with a stated operator control range of 220 kilometers and autonomous operation of more than 1,000 kilometers.

Documents also indicated the cost of a Shahed-236 to be approximately $900,000, compared with $193,000 for the Shahed-136 in 2022.

The higher price may reflect localization or licensing costs, according to the report.