James Snell

Iran’s ‘kamikaze’ drones take to the skies above Ukraine

Russia has a new weapon in its armoury

The remains of an Iranian drone found by Ukrainian troops (Credit: The Ukrainian Armed Forces)

Ukraine is awash with foreign-made weapons, something that is true of both sides. While Ukraine uses American-made rocket systems, French, German and British artillery pieces, and anti-tank weaponry from across the globe, Russia is resorting to foreign suppliers of its own. This means artillery shells from North Korea and, increasingly, drones from Iran.

Russia relying on these countries has produced a lot of mockery, some of it justified. Why would a country which claims to be winning its war, with an economy unaffected by sanctions, request resupply from North Korea – a nation whose entire economy is the size of an American city? But on drones, at least, the Russian strategy does not appear so ridiculous. The Iranians are no joke – and the appearance of Iranian ‘kamikaze’ drones in the skies above Ukraine in recent weeks is a big concern for the Ukrainians.

American officials believe that the greatest threat to peace in the Middle East comes from Iran and its network of proxies.

Written by
James Snell

James Snell is a senior advisor for special initiatives at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy. His upcoming book, Defeat, about the failure of the war in Afghanistan and the future of terrorism, will be published by Gibson Square next year.

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