Ukrainian strike destroys Russian drone warehouse in Crimea
New information is emerging from the front regarding a Ukrainian attack directed toward occupied Crimea. Specifically, around Cape Fiolent (near Sevastopol), the Ukrainian army destroyed a Russian Shahed drone warehouse. The extent of the losses suffered by the Russians is known.
7:42 PM EDT, July 2, 2024
There has been a noticeable pattern in Ukrainian activities over the past few weeks. Let's recall that in the last weeks of June, the defenders struck one of the warehouses in Yeysk, where the Russian Federation stored Shahed-136 drones, known in Russia as Geran-2.
Not much time has passed, and the Ukrainians are carrying out an attack similar to the previous one. This time, however, the target is the area around Sevastopol in occupied Crimea. Precisely at this location (Cape Fiolent), the Ukrainians made a precise strike using an unknown missile on a facility that served an important function.
According to the profile @front_ukrainian on platform X, during the latest attack, the Ukrainians struck a warehouse of Shahed-136 drones. The losses suffered by the Russians during the strike are also known – the Ukrainians managed to destroy around 90 unmanned aerial vehicles.
Iranian Shahed-136 drones
The intensification of shelling toward Russian warehouses with unmanned aerial vehicles should not be surprising in light of how crucial drones are on the battlefield in the 21st century. These small constructions can often threaten even the most heavily armored units, and they are relatively cheap to produce – at least compared to conventional artillery ammunition.
Therefore, eliminating unmanned aerial vehicles from the enemy's arsenal is a perfectly understandable and thoughtful tactic – especially considering the imminent arrival of F-16 jets in Ukraine, which could be a valuable target for Russian drones on the airfields.
Let's recall that the Shahed-136 drones mentioned, though eagerly used by the Russians, are not a Russian creation. This weapon originates from Iran, known in the Russian Federation as Geran-2. They use a copy of the German Limbach L550E engine for propulsion, namely the Mado MD550. The unit generates a power of around 50 HP and allows the unmanned aerial vehicle to accelerate to about 115 mph.
Although some sources claim that the Geran-2 can reach up to 1,240 miles from the launch site, it is more probable to assume that its range is around 620 miles.
The Geran-2 weighs about 440 lbs, of which approximately 88 lbs are the warhead. The Iranian drone is about 11.5 feet long, while its wingspan, built in a delta configuration, is 8 feet.
