TechUkrainian forces strike key Russian drone warehouse in occupied Crimea

Ukrainian forces strike key Russian drone warehouse in occupied Crimea

New information is emerging from the front regarding a Ukrainian attack directed towards the occupied Crimea. Specifically, around Cape Fiolent (near Sevastopol), the defenders' army destroyed a Russian Shahed drone warehouse. The extent of the losses suffered by the Russians is known.

A warehouse of Shahed-136 drones belonging to the Russians destroyed in Crimea
A warehouse of Shahed-136 drones belonging to the Russians destroyed in Crimea
Images source: © X | @front_ukrainian
Norbert Garbarek

2 July 2024 23:16

There has been a noticeable pattern in Ukrainian activities over the past few weeks. Let's recall that in the last weeks of June, the defenders struck one of the warehouses in Yeysk, which – as it turned out later – was a location where the Russian Federation stored Shahed-136 drones, known in Russia as Geran-2.

Not much time has passed, and the Ukrainians are carrying out an attack similar to the previous one. This time, however, the target was the area around Sevastopol in occupied Crimea. Precisely at this location (Cape Fiolent), the Ukrainians made a precise strike using an unknown missile on a facility that – as it turns out – served an important function.

According to the profile @front_ukrainian on platform X, during the latest attack, the Ukrainians struck a warehouse of Shahed-136 drones. The losses suffered by the Russians during the strike are also known – the Ukrainians managed to destroy around 90 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Iranian Shahed-136 drones

The intensification of shelling towards Russian warehouses with unmanned aerial vehicles should not be surprising in light of how crucial drones are on the battlefield in the 21st century. These small constructions can often threaten even the most heavily armoured units, and they are relatively cheap to produce – at least compared to conventional artillery ammunition.

Therefore, eliminating unmanned aerial vehicles from the enemy's arsenal is a perfectly understandable and thoughtful tactic – especially considering the imminent arrival of F-16 jets in Ukraine, which could be a valuable target for Russian drones on the airfields.

Let's recall that the Shahed-136 drones mentioned, though eagerly used by the Russians, are not a Russian creation. This weapon originates from Iran, known in the Russian Federation as Geran-2. They use a copy of the German Limbach L550E engine for propulsion, namely the Mado MD550. The unit generates a power of around 50 hp, allowing the unmanned aerial vehicle to accelerate to a speed of about 185 km/h.

Although some sources claim that the Geran-2 can reach a distance of even 2,000 km from the launch site, it is more probable to assume that its range is around 1,000 km.

The Geran-2 weighs about 200 kg, of which approximately 40 kg is the warhead. The Iranian drone is around 3.5 metres long, while its wingspan, built in a delta configuration, reaches 2.5 metres.

© Daily Wrap
·

Downloading, reproduction, storage, or any other use of content available on this website—regardless of its nature and form of expression (in particular, but not limited to verbal, verbal-musical, musical, audiovisual, audio, textual, graphic, and the data and information contained therein, databases and the data contained therein) and its form (e.g., literary, journalistic, scientific, cartographic, computer programs, visual arts, photographic)—requires prior and explicit consent from Wirtualna Polska Media Spółka Akcyjna, headquartered in Warsaw, the owner of this website, regardless of the method of exploration and the technique used (manual or automated, including the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence programs). The above restriction does not apply solely to facilitate their search by internet search engines and uses within contractual relations or permitted use as specified by applicable law.Detailed information regarding this notice can be found  here.