Deadly improvement: how dangerous are the new warheads of kamikaze drones with shrapnel?
12 June 16:48
ANALYSIS FROM 
Russian troops are increasingly using Shahed kamikaze drones not only as a means of destroying infrastructure, but also as an instrument of terror against civilians. On the night of June 10, Kyiv was once again subjected to an air attack, during which drones equipped with shrapnel, a deadly metal element that scatters over a considerable distance when exploded, were used.
According to representatives of the Air Force, such weapons are aimed not so much at destroying equipment as at mass casualties. This is yet another indication that Russia continues to deliberately violate international humanitarian law, turning every air raid into a threat to the lives of every Ukrainian.
The warheads of both Shahed missiles and drones can have different contents: thermobaric charges, high-explosive charges, or shrapnel. Shrapnel is designed to cover the largest possible radius of damage, including equipment, vehicles and people,” explains Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat during the telethon.
“This makes it especially dangerous to be near windows or in the open air during such shelling, as shrapnel flies in all directions at high speed and poses a deadly threat.
What shrapnel is, how to protect yourself from it, and what to do if the warhead of drones, including Shahed drones, can be thermobaric or high-explosive – read more in the article
Deadly load: how thermobaric, high-explosive and shrapnel charges work
Russia’s use of Shahed-type kamikaze drones with modernized warheads poses an increasing threat to the civilian population of Ukraine. In an exclusive commentary for
A volumetric explosion is a mixture of gases, including aluminum powder. Its task is to cause massive damage in an enclosed space. The mixture spreads throughout the room and then detonates with a delay, causing the entire dust and gas cloud to explode. This is extremely dangerous, because the “two-wall rule” does not work here – the explosion covers the entire room,” the expert emphasized.
According to Svitan, shrapnel is even more dangerous – balls, nuts or nails that are added to the charge to increase the damage.
Shrapnel or high-explosive charges are designed specifically to cause maximum damage to manpower. If civilians are targeted, it is a direct threat to the civilian population,” explained the colonel.
According to the expert, no shell is “light,” especially in the context of deliberate terror that Russia is using.
“The best solution is to simply move out of the target area, because it is impossible to predict the type of charge. It’s like with a ballistic missile: there are no “light” or “heavy” ones, everything is heavy now. These are terrorist attacks aimed at making Ukrainian society capitulate,” says Svitan.
How the Shakhty has changed since 2022
Roman Svitan said that although the conceptual design of the Shaheds has not changed, they have undergone a significant technical evolution. The biggest changes have affected the engines, guidance systems, and payload.
Initially, they had internal combustion engines, like motorcycle engines. Now they are being replaced with turbojet engines, the so-called “whistling turbines”. They are faster, but due to higher fuel consumption, they have a shorter range,” the expert said.
According to Svitan, engineers have also changed the guidance system: from inertial-satellite to direct control via SIM cards, which allows for more accurate targeting of drones at civilian objects. One of the most noticeable changes is the increase in the warhead.
Its weight has been increased from 50 to 90 kilograms, which was done by reducing the amount of fuel. Now the Shahed can fly not 1500 kilometers, but, for example, 1000 or 500. But the impressive power has increased,” explained Svitan.
According to the expert, Chinese engineers are actively involved in the modernization of drones. In particular, the communication system is being improved – drones are equipped with new antennas to work with different satellite frequencies.
This makes it possible to triangulate, determine coordinates more accurately, and get accurate time and coordinates from satellites. Therefore, the effectiveness of such attacks is higher,” he said.
Weapons are not for war, but for terror
Despite the modernization, the military use of the Shahed is limited. Svitan emphasizes that these drones are ineffective against military targets.
They are low-speed, low-maneuverability, and easy targets for air defense. They are useless against fortified military targets. For example, if you hit a gunpowder factory, the most you can do is set fire to a pipe on the surface. And the plant itself is underground, protected,” he explains.
“Instead, Russia is using the Shakedown as a weapon of terror, trying to inflict psychological and physical damage on civilians through massive nighttime attacks. Drones are not a military tool, but a weapon of fear. And each wave of attacks is another reminder that Russia’s target is not only infrastructure, but every Ukrainian.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
