Russia has highly likely deployed Iranian uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) in Ukraine for the first time, according to the latest UK Defence Intelligence update on 13 September 2022. It recalled that Ukrainian officials reported that their forces had shot down a Shahed-136 UAV near Kupyansk, in the area of Ukraine’s successful ongoing offensive.
The Shahed-136 is a one-way attack UAV with a claimed range of 2,500 kilometres. Similar Iranian-manufactured systems have likely been used in attacks in the Middle East, including against the oil tanker MT MERCER STREET in July 2021, the update reads.
"The loss of a Shahed-136 near the front lines suggests there is a realistic possibility that Russia is attempting to use the system to conduct tactical strikes rather than against more strategic targets farther into Ukrainian territory," the intelligence said.