Israel examines Russia's Shahed-type drones sent by Ukraine to combat Iran | Gravitas

At the peak of the Iran war, Israel struggled to defend itself against swarms of Iranian Shahed drones.

Ukraine has been facing a similar struggle against Russia's Shahed-type drones, which have caused significant damage in the country.

Now, both countries have joined hands to combat threats from Russia and Iran.

According to former Israeli envoy Michael Brodsky, Ukraine has sent several weapons used by Russia in its ongoing war to Israel for examination.

While he did not specify the weapons in question, reports suggested that Israel is studying samples of Russian drones based on Iranian-made Shahed drones.

But what is the purpose of this?

Israeli researchers can better understand the modifications Russia has made to its drones and develop ways to counter them.

This is vital as drones have emerged as a key tool of warfare.

Now, Russia has repeatedly evolved its tactics for penetrating Ukrainian air defences through the course of its war.

For instance, after initially using Iran's Shahed drones, Russia began mass-producing its own jet-powered versions called Gerans.

Now, its most advanced version, Geran-5, is creating quite a flutter in Ukraine.

It flies more like a cruise missile.

According to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, its speed can touch 600 kilometres per hour and it can strike targets close to 950 kilometres away, which is much more than its previous variants.

Thus, Ukraine's existing air defence measures are relatively ineffective in intercepting this drone.

Additionally, these drones are relatively cheaper compared to high-end cruise missiles.

As of March this year, Ukraine claimed that Russia had fired over 57,000 Shahed-type drones.

On its part, Ukraine is testing five types of high-speed interceptor drones designed to combat Russia's jet-powered drones.

Last month, Zelensky even shared footage of one such drone, which has already been deployed on the war front.

In this context, the Israel-Ukraine collaboration is perceived as a win-win for both sides.

While Israel has the edge in terms of technological prowess, Ukraine has first-hand experience of tackling Russian weapons in combat.