Upgraded Russian Shaheds can hit moving targets
Russian Shahed UAV in flight (Photo: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
Russia now deploys a new modification of Iranian-designed Shahed drones equipped with night-vision cameras to detect and strike moving targets, Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi reported on Oct. 1.
According to footage released by a Russian state propaganda, a squadron of the drones, operated by Russian crews, attacked a fuel train moving roughly 150–200 kilometers beyond the Ukrainian border. The first UAV struck the locomotive, stopping the train, before others targeted the flatcars and tankers.
During the operation, the drones encountered Ukrainian air-defense helicopters, posing a threat to Ukrainian pilots, Militarnyi said.
Military analysts first observed Shahed drones with upgraded optics and direct-control capabilities in June, when Ukrainian forces downed one in Sumy Oblast. A subsequent report by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) determined the drones’ Iranian origin based on hull materials and electronics layout, though the improved models are now largely manufactured in Russia.
Investigators examining wreckage recovered a powerful Nvidia Jetson Orin computer, used for video processing and possibly enabling the drone to autonomously identify targets by comparing images with onboard reference data. However, new footage indicates the drones maintained a direct link to Russian operators, suggesting they were controlled via a dedicated radio bridge using either airborne or ground-based relay stations.
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