It is to be noted that the drones used in the attack seemed to include Iranian-made Shaheds, also being called ‘Kamikaze drones’. Since Russia launched a military offensive on Ukraine in February, the air strikes have usually been conducted with missiles.
This is the second time Russia has unleashed a wave of Kamikaze Drones on Ukraine within a week. Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, also confirmed in a social media post that Shahed drones were among those used in the strike on Kyiv.
Kamikaze Drones - an overview
'Kamikaze' derives from a tactic of attack adopted by the Japanese during World War II. Pilots of fighter planes laden with explosives, in a suicide attack mission, would crash into an enemy target to cause maximum damage.
The drones have also been repeatedly used by Russia elsewhere in Ukraine in recent weeks to target urban centers and infrastructure, including power stations. They are comparatively cheap, costing in the region of US$20,000, and can be used in swarms.
Attack
Inspired by the Japanese tactic, the modern Kamikaze drones are also on suicide bombing mission. These get destroyed the moment they hit their targets. The Iranian-made Shaheds, has been rebranded as Geran-2 drones by Russia.
These are also called "loitering munition," can linger over targets before nosediving into them. They can be fired one after the other from racks. They can hover around much longer than a cruise missile.
Their distinctive A-shaped wing make them readily identifiable.
Defense
The Shahed drones are most likely vulnerable to electronic jamming and traditional anti-aircraft cannons.
The difficulty for Ukraine, comes in deciding where to place limited stocks of air defenses. The Shahed can fly hundreds of kilometers (Iran claims in excess of 2,000 km, or 1,243 miles) and loiter for hours before locking onto a target.
Ukraine could be turning to Israel for protection against drone attacks; Israel has for long successfully defended against attacks by Iranian drones.
Kyiv attacked
In the Kyiv region, 13 or more drones were shot down, all of them as they flew in from the south, said a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yurii Ihnat.
A city that has becomes grimly accustomed to air strikes since February, saw its residents undergo more terror and frayed nerves as the drone struck the city.
EU to take steps
Foreign ministers of the European Union will discuss reports about Iran’s military support for Russia’s invasion, the bloc’s policy chief Josep Borrell said. They are also due to agree at a meeting in Luxembourg the launch of a new mission to train around 15,000 Ukrainian personnel in the EU as soon as mid-November and sign off on an additional €500 million ($487 million) in weapons financing.
(With agency inputs)
