Russia has been combining the use of Shahed drones with cheaper and lighter domestically-produced Italmas UAVs in its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Russian media suggested on 23 October that Russian forces had used new long-range Italmas drones and their variants for the first time in Ukraine during a drone attack on Kyiv Oblast.
Russian sources say Russian troops are going to use Italmas drones in tandem with Shaheds.
ISW previously reported that Russia was likely trying to expand and diversify its drone, missile, and guided bomb arsenal to target Ukraine’s critical infrastructure ahead of the autumn/winter season. And the use of Italmas drones is likely part of the effort to diversify its munitions.
Russian media reports indicate that the Italmas are lighter than the Gerans (as the Russians call Shaheds – ed.), run on gas and make a completely different sound, like that of a lawnmower, rendering them harder to identify and shoot down.
The code name of the UAV in production is Product 54.
Source: y!news