As of October 19, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down 223 kamikaze drones (Iranian loitering Shahed-136 ammunition disguised as drones with the Russian name "Geran-2"). This is stated in the message of the command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.
The first drone, according to the command, was shot down on September 13 in Kupyansk. Today, Russia also attacked the regions of Ukraine with the help of Shahed-136, including from the territory of Belarus. As of 15:30 today, ten drones have been destroyed.
Earlier, Ukraine invited UN experts to verify the origin and series of drones used by Russia to attack Ukrainian targets. As Voice of America reported with reference to a letter from Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Serhiy Kislitsa to UN Secretary General António Guterres, at the end of August, Mohajer and Shahed series UAVs were transferred from Iran to Russia.
On October 17, Kiev was subjected to a massive attack by kamikaze drones. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, reported that several residential buildings were damaged. Propaganda military commissar Yuriy Kotenok said that during the night, drones launched a "series of attacks on targets" in Kyiv, Odessa, Sumy and Dnepropetrovsk regions. This is not the first time Russia has used drones to strike Ukrainian cities. In September, Geran-2 drones attacked Odessa several times. So, on September 23, the Ukrainian media wrote that two drones destroyed an administrative building in the port area, one drone was shot down over the sea.
The Russian Federation produces its own kamikaze drones "Cube", but during the war in Ukraine decided to purchase a batch of Iranian drones. Both sides deny any deal. According to The Washington Post, Tehran has supplied Moscow with Mohajer-6 and Shahed series drones capable of carrying ammunition to attack radars, artillery and other military targets. According to Ukrainian media, the downed Shahed- 136s are disguised as a Geran-2 drone.Pro-Russian Telegram channels also confirmed that kamikaze drones purchased in Iran or assembled under an Iranian license could go into battle.