ISW: Russian forces increasingly use Shahed drones to strike Ukrainian targets on the front line

Russian forces are increasingly using "Shahed" drones to strike Ukrainian targets on the front line, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) write in their new report.

In addition to their own assessments, the institute's experts drew attention to the statements of one of the Russian "military experts", who claims that instead of KABs, the Russians are increasingly using "Geran-2" and "Geran-3" drones - Russian analogues of the Iranian "Shahed-136" - particularly for close and medium-range strikes on the front line.

This "military expert" claims that the Russian army began changing its tactics for using shahids last winter, when Russia began mass-producing improved "Geran-2" drones with improved speed, range, and payload. According to this Russian propagandist, quoted by ISW, the Russians are using drones to attack Ukrainian warehouses, command posts, and fortresses on the front line and in the near rear.

"Voenkor" also stated that units of the Russian 51st Combined Arms Army (formerly the 1st Army Corps of the "DPR" fighters) were among the first to massively use shahids on the front line. Also, according to him, the Russian Group of Forces "Center", which operates mainly in the Pokrovsk and Novopavlovsk directions, will soon switch to using "Geran-2" drones, as soon as Russian manufacturers further increase production volumes.

The publication by "military expert" claims that the Russians may be able to replace the 500- and 1,000-kilogram KABs with "Geran-3" jet drones (they are said to have a 300-kilogram warhead and reach speeds of up to 500 km/h). It is also assumed that if the flight range of the "Geran-3" be reduced, the Russians could increase their warhead to 500 kg.

ISW adds that this publication by the Russian "military correspondent" is largely consistent with the observations of the Institute for the Study of War itself, that Russian troops are increasingly using "Shahed" drones to strike Ukrainian targets on the front line. This became possible after the Russian defense-industrial complex increased the production rate of Geran drones and improved their accuracy and operational parameters, which allowed the Russians to more easily use such drones on the front line, summarizes ISW.