Russia has Iranian drones 1:38
Washington (CNN) --
Iran appears to have modified attack drones it has provided to Russia so that explosive warheads can do maximum damage to infrastructure targets inside Ukraine, according to a new investigative report exclusively obtained by CNN.
Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of drones to use in its war in Ukraine, many of which have targeted the Ukrainian power grid and energy facilities with devastating effect.
Drone strikes, as well as Russian missile barrages, have left Ukrainian civilians across the country without heat, electricity or running water during the frigid winter months.
Iran admits it supplied drones to Russia before the invasion of Ukraine
The British research organization Conflict Armament Research (CAR) last month examined, together with the Ukrainian Army, an unexploded warhead from an Iranian Shahed-131 drone found in the southern Odessa region. of Ukraine, in October 2022. The CAR first provided its findings to CNN.
The composition of the warhead helps explain how Russia's attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure over the past few months has proved so effective.
Fragmentation matrix in the forward section of the warhead.
Credit: Conflict Armament Research
The group's analysts believe the warheads, which measure just under 60cm long, were hastily modified with ill-fitting layers of dozens of tiny metal fragments that scatter over a wide radius on impact.
In addition to the fragments, there are also 18 smaller "charges" around the circumference of the warhead which, when melted by the explosion, can pierce armor and create a sort of "360 degree" explosive effect.
Stacking those items essentially maximizes the warhead's ability to destroy targets like power plants, distribution grids, transmission lines, and large high-power transformers.
They also make repair tasks considerably more difficult.
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It's as if they looked at the finished warhead and said, "How can we make it even more destructive?" says Damien Spleeters, one of the researchers who examined the warhead.
Multipurpose warhead of an Iranian Shahed-131 attack drone.
Credit: Conflict Armament Research
In October, Ukrenergo, Ukraine's state electricity generator, declared that about 40% of the normal electricity supply was out of service as a result of Russian bombing.
And the damage is occurring much faster than Ukraine can repair it: Sergey Kovalenko, CEO of energy provider YASNO, told CNN in December that "Ukrainians will most likely have to live with blackouts until at least the end of March".
Spleeters explained that warheads aimed at battlefield elements such as tanks or artillery pieces could be of a different design, with a projectile-shaped frontal charge being used for more concentrated targets.
The warhead examined by CAR, however, has a radial charge effect, which can result in a larger hit area.
As CNN previously reported, Iranian-made drones deployed in Ukraine have been found to contain a significant amount of American and Western components, prompting the Biden administration to investigate how American-made technology got into the weapons.
Spleeters told CNN that examination of the Shahed-131 warhead, the components of which have never been made public until now, has helped analysts better understand how Iran has been manufacturing its drones.
A drone flies over Kyiv during an attack on October 17, 2022, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Credit: Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images
"There had been a lot of speculation that these explosives were very crude, cheap and simple," he added.
"But looking at the warhead, it's clear that a lot of thought has gone into making sure it can inflict as much infrastructure damage as possible over a wide radius."
Last month, the Institute for the Study of Warfare found that Russian forces were increasingly reliant on drones in their campaign against Ukrainian critical infrastructure, to the point that their drone reserves are already running low, just months away. after Iran started sending them.
However, Russia and Iran have agreed to set up a drone manufacturing plant inside Russia, which Western officials say will allow Russia to replenish its supply more quickly.
Drone AttacksWar in Ukraine