Russia has revived its use of Iranian drones in the war in Ukraine’s east this week, the British defence ministry said today.
“For the first time in three weeks, there have been reports of attacks by Iranian-provided one-way attack (OWA) uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs),” the ministry said. It is likely that the Kremlin has exhausted its previous stock of several hundred Shahed-131s and 136s and has now received a resupply.
This comes as the Russian forces stepped up their military offensive in Ukraine’s east and shelled the entire frontier with the relentless attacks continuing for most of the week.
The fiercest fighting has raged near the towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, the region’s governor Pavlo Kyurylenko said.
At least five civilians had been killed and two wounded in Ukrainian-controlled parts of Dontesk over the previous day, he said today. Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych confirmed that “the Russians have intensified their efforts in Donetsk and Luhansk”
