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UK intelligence: Russia has likely used Iranian drone in Ukraine
Russia has highly likely deployed an Iranian drone (UAV) in Ukraine for the first time, according to British military intelligence.
Ukraine’s defense ministry also said on Tuesday (Sep 13) it had shot down an Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone used by Russia’s armed forces in the northeastern region of Kharkiv, the first time Kyiv claimed to have eliminated one of the devices.
Ukraine and the US have accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia, something Tehran has denied.
The defense ministry posted images of what appeared to be parts of a destroyed drone with “Geran-2” written on the side in Russian. The wingtip appeared to match that of a Shahed-136.
It said the drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), had been “eliminated” near Kupiansk, a town in the Kharkiv region recently recaptured by Ukraine.
Military experts have said Iranian drones would be useful to Russia for both reconnaissance and as loitering munitions that can bide their time in locating and engaging suitable targets.
Since the beginning of September, the Ukrainian army continues to liberate settlements in the east and south of Ukraine from the Russian occupiers.
Evidence of Russian crimes found in Kharkiv region
From September 6 to 13, the Ukrainian forces liberated the area of 3,800 square kilometers in Kharkiv Oblast with 300 settlements in the area, Hanna Maliar, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, said on the air of the national telethon.
The Ukrainian army expelled Russian invasion forces from more than 20 settlements on Sept. 12 alone, General Zaluzhny said.
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