The Iranian-made Shahed drone being deployed by Russia to strike Kyiv citizens

Russian drones have continued to rain down on Ukraine, devastating the country as buildings erupt in balls of fire, killing civilians and sending the rest fleeing for their lives.

The Kremlin’s ‘kamikaze’ suicide drones have wreaked havoc in the war-torn country and have become just another aspect of everyday life for those on the ground.

These drones – often small in size and cheap compared to other similar weapons – have become an integral part of Russian war tactics, and one drone in particular more than any other.

In an attack on Tuesday, Iran-supplied Shahed-136 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) shot down from the sky over Kiev in successive waves of 31 strikes, the Ukrainian armed forces said. Although Ukraine’s air defense said they were able to shoot down 29 of the attacks, the Russian drones have shown no patience.

And while Ukrainian armed forces have used advanced drones such as the US-made Predator, the Shahed-136 has proved much grosser.

The Shaheds, which Russia has renamed Geran-2 drones, pack an explosive charge and are fired one after the other.

With a range of more than 600 miles, the explosive-laden drones can “hang” over potential targets for hours before being slammed directly into enemy soldiers, vehicles or buildings from above, causing an explosion.

Iran previously denied supplying Russia with weapons before admitting late last year to supplying Moscow with “a small number of drones months before the war in Ukraine.”

These drones have also been used repeatedly by Russia during its attack on Ukraine, using them to attack urban centers and power plants.

They are relatively inexpensive, costing around £16,000.

Its use in swarms posed a major challenge to Ukrainian air defenses earlier in the war

And while Western countries have since bolstered Ukraine’s air defenses with anti-missile systems to shoot down the drones, their sheer ruthlessness still grips the country.

Ukrainians who have witnessed attacks by the drones say they make a recognizable noise, and have described them sounding like “motorcycles” in the sky, with some soldiers calling it “the flying lawnmower.”

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a video last October showing a smoking wreckage alleged to be one of the drones. The post said it was shot by a machine gun.

“This is a primitive handmade product,” said Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force. Radio Free Europe (RFE) after the attack last year.

‘It’s not high-tech assembly line production like the [Turkish-made] Bayraktar or American and Israeli [unmanned aerial vehicles],’ he added.

Residents of Ukraine described the drone strikes to RFE. “You can hear the roar. At first I just hear them, but then I saw one fly by and then explode,” said one man.

Another said, “There was a buzz that woke me up. I remember thinking, “What is that?” The sound approached and then there was an explosion near the house.’

According to reports, the first recorded use of the drones in Yemen was in Houthi-controlled areas. Now Iran is said to have sold hundreds of drones to Russia.

Packed with explosives, the Shahed UAVs prove to be so effective because they can be pre-programmed with a target’s GPS coordinates. They are known as suicide drones because they dive into targets and explode like a missile on impact.

The nearly 10-foot Shahed 136 is designed with a delta wing shape, with stabilizing rudders at the top of the aircraft. The fuselage is located in the center of the drone and merges into the wings of almost four feet, giving it an elegant-looking shape.

Drones like the Shaheds are referred to as hang munition by the military because when used at close range they can hover over an area and then strike a target at the command of an operator.

The explosives are in the nose of the drone, as well as the technology that guides it to its targets for a precise strike. The motor, meanwhile, is located at the back of the drone and drives two bladed propellers. It has been compared to an engine one would find on a lawnmower or moped.

According to Iranian data, the UAV’s range is about 1,000 kilometers (621 mi), but drone expert Samuel Bendett of the CNA think tank told MailOnline that in Ukraine, the Shahed is used at much shorter ranges. That’s because the GPS guidance system – which is vulnerable to interference – isn’t very robust.

To overwhelm the air defenses, several drones – usually batches of five and more – are launched simultaneously from the same rack. They are fired almost horizontally with missile launch assistance.

The rocket is jettisoned on takeoff and the engine takes over once airborne.

Shaheds are known to have been controlled by radio among the Iranians. Whether Russia can do the same in Ukraine is unclear, though Ukrainians have reported seeing the drones change direction, suggesting at least some remote control.

Because they are cheap – £16,000 each – and there are many in stock, Russia is increasingly using Shahed UAVs in Ukraine. They have been used to attack civilian infrastructure since the beginning of the war.

Its use allows Russia not to endanger advanced aircraft and pilots and to spare its limited supply of expensive long-range precision missiles.

The drones are fired in rapid succession from a truck launcher and can fly low and slow, improving their ability to avoid radar detection. They are launched in quick succession to overwhelm the Ukrainian defenses.

Russia has managed to use the Shahed drones to effectively saturate targets, be it a fuel depot or infrastructure and utilities such as power or water stations. They have done this by using them alongside intelligence drones.

But Ukraine has said they have managed to shoot down the vast majority of drones – more than 80 percent – using machine guns and portable anti-aircraft missiles.

As the conflict continues and essentially becomes a war of attrition, Russia’s success in finding cheaper but still powerful weapons will continue to be a major asset.