War in Ukraine. Russia Launches Thousands of Shahed Drones in Ukraine, Plans to Create a ‘Drone Paradise’

Russia has two factories producing Geranium-2 (Shahed 136) drones, which produce hundreds of them every week, a Ukrainian government source told The Guardian.

It is noted that the companies are located in Tatarstan, about 1,300 km from the border with Ukraine.

The publication shared information that the Russians launch drones into Ukraine almost immediately after their production. Although easier to shoot down than cruise missiles, they interfere with anti-aircraft defenses and can cause significant damage.

In October, the occupiers launched a total of 2,023 Shahed 136 drones into Ukraine, which is a record number since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the journalists emphasized. Attacks on major Ukrainian cities are carried out almost every night.

According to Ukrainian military sources, the Russians are also trying to install artificial intelligence on the Shahed 136 and create a “drone paradise”. The drones are supposed to communicate with each other and coordinate attacks to overcome Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses. However, it is not yet known how effective this technology can be.

In addition, the journalists discovered that the occupiers are constantly modifying their drones to make them more efficient. They recalled that in early November, the Russians equipped some drones with thermobaric warheads, which create clouds of fire when detonated. This is especially dangerous if the drone explodes inside a building.

The publication notes that the Shahed 136 drones are relatively inexpensive, so shooting them down with Patriot missile systems costs about $4 million. dollars, is impractical.

Journalists shared that the Ukrainian army more often uses machine guns or drones for FPV.