27 June 2025 07:50

News

War in Ukraine

They fly higher and hit harder: how the russians have Modified the Shaheds

In recent months, Russian forces have been "bombarding" Ukraine with an enormous number of Shaheds. In June 2025 alone, they deployed 2,736 of these UAVs. Along with the growing numbers, the drones themselves have changed: Russia can now use modifications equipped with cameras, direct radio-control systems, and AI modules.

explains how Russia has upgraded its Shaheds and why they pose a new threat.

Russians are launching more Shaheds at Ukraine: how did this happen?

How Many Shaheds Are the Russians Launching at Ukraine?

The number of Shaheds and their decoys (i.e., UAVs made from the cheapest possible materials to imitate real targets and mislead air defense systems) launched at Ukrainian cities continues to increase every year. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has deployed a total of 28,743 such drones against Ukraine.

Why are the russians launching more Shaheds at Ukraine?

The main reason is mass production. Electronic warfare and signals intelligence expert Serhii "Flesh" Beskrestnov noted that Russia has significantly scaled up Shahed manufacturing. By various estimates, production has increased five- to seven-fold.

"Defence Intelligence of Ukraine says five times; I think it’s closer to seven. But either way, it’s significant," the expert said.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, as reported to Forbes, Russia is producing over 5,000 long-range drones per month, half of which are actual Shaheds and the rest are decoy drones. As of late May 2025, the production rate for Shahed-136/Geran-2 UAVs is about 2,700 units per month, while about 2,500 "Gerbera"-type decoys are also produced.

Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan, where the russians produce drones. Photo: Wikipedia

Artur Seletskyi, Strategic Development Director at KVERTUS, reminded that in 2022, Russia used only a few Shahed-136s per week for drone attacks.

"At that time, they were seen as an exotic threat from Iran. Today, they are a mass-produced, serial weapon of constant pressure, launched by the hundreds daily instead of by the dozens weekly. This is no longer a terror tool — it is an industry of territorial annihilation. An industry that is ‘accelerating’ every day, expanding its production capacity," he said.

How the russians have modified the Shaheds

New Shaheds: components and technological enhancements

Back in March 2025, the Head of the Communications Directorate of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat, reported that the Shaheds had changed visually. He noted that the Russians began using composite materials for the fuselage to reduce their "reflective surface" and significantly minimize the impact of electronic warfare countermeasures.

In addition, the drones’ guidance systems have changed. Previously, they used four antennas for satellite navigation; now they have several times more, complicating the Defense Forces’ ability to counter them using electronic warfare systems.

Artur Seletskyi told that the number of CRPA (Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna) elements — active antennas designed to protect against jamming and spoofing — has increased to 12 or even 16.

16-element CRPA antenna. Photo: Serhii ‘Flesh’ Beskrestnov

"Such an antenna makes it significantly harder for Ukrainian EW systems to jam them, as jamming requires coordinating multiple interference sources simultaneously," he said.

Seletskyi also noted that the Russians are now installing radio modems on Shaheds, enabling remote control at distances up to 150 km — and even further when airborne repeaters are used. Previously, Shaheds flew autonomously according to pre-programmed routes.

Seletskyi further revealed a new type of UAV that visually resembles a Shahed but is used for reconnaissance of border and frontline routes, as well as monitoring air defense operations.

"These reconnaissance drones fly at altitudes of 1–3 km, equipped with analog video transmitters with a range of over 50 km and ELRS control systems (an open-source radio control system designed for FPV drones and other remote-controlled models)," he explained.

Additionally, Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, Deputy Director of Piranha Tech (a manufacturer of EW systems), told that the Russians have begun using new communication elements and electronic components featuring AI capabilities, specifically machine vision. This enables drones to more accurately detect targets, adapt to combat conditions, and survive in complex electronic warfare environments. Seletskyi confirmed this development as well.

Output amplifier with AI. Photo: Serhii ‘Flesh’ Beskrestnov

Moreover, experts noted that the latest Shahed models are equipped with cameras and direct radio-control systems. According to Seletskyi, Russian low-orbit signals intelligence satellites also play a critical role — helping adjust drone routes based on the location of Ukrainian EW systems and allowing them to avoid areas with the highest interference.

New Shaheds: changes in payload and warhead weight

Experts interviewed by highlighted that since 2023 — and especially during 2024–2025 — Shaheds have undergone significant changes in both payload and design.

Anatolii Khrapchynskyi reported that the warhead weight of some drones has increased from 50 to 90 kg. Seletskyi added that at the same time, the drones’ fuel tank capacity was reduced to offset the weight and optimize the UAV’s center of gravity.

Russian KOFZBCh warhead for Shahed-136 with combined shaped-charge, fragmentation, high-explosive and incendiary effects. Photo: Defense Express

"This makes it possible to install more powerful warheads, including thermobaric or high-explosive types, which significantly increase strike effectiveness," he said.

Seletskyi pointed out that the Russians use viscous incendiary mixtures that cannot be extinguished even with sand, increasing the fire hazard when civilian infrastructure is hit. This type of warhead causes more destruction and complicates post-strike recovery, he emphasized.

New Tactics for Using Shaheds

In addition to quantity and modifications, Russian forces have changed their tactics for using Shaheds. In May, Yurii Ihnat reported that the Russians were conducting group drone raids simultaneously targeting a single settlement or facility. Artur Seletskyi also described this to .

"The fundamental change is in the tactics: initially, strikes were scattered across the country, mostly hitting energy infrastructure. Now we are seeing swarm attacks involving dozens or even hundreds of drones targeting a single settlement or site," he said.

Shaheds. Photo: depositphotos

According to the expert, a typical attack involves several waves:

The first wave detects air defense unit positions and depletes their countermeasures.
The second wave strikes these units.
The third wave attacks the industrial or military target.

The second and third waves can occur simultaneously.

Experts also noted that the flight altitude of Shaheds has changed. Khrapchynskyi emphasized that most attacks now occur at altitudes up to 3 km, which is out of reach for mobile fire groups.

Mobile fire group of the 63rd Brigade. Photo: Wikipedia

Seletskyi stressed that this forces Ukraine’s air defense to operate in all modes simultaneously.

"This is a very clever tactic. It is no surprise the enemy adopted it — the only surprise is that they did so so late. It is also surprising that our military analysts did not anticipate this in time to deploy an effective counter-system. Given Ukraine’s limited resources, we must not merely react when delays give the enemy a ‘window’ to destroy these resources — we must constantly reassess our defensive principles, update tactics, and strengthen our autonomy and decision-making speed," Seletskyi explained.