Russia’s Shahed Drones Are Going Silent Before Impact—And Ukraine Warns They Can Appear Out of Nowhere

Russian forces are employing a new tactic involving jet-powered Shahed attack drones, shutting down their engines shortly before impact and allowing the aircraft to continue toward their targets with little audible warning, Ukrainian radio technology expert and advisor to the President of Ukraine, Serhii Beskrestnov, reported on November 12.

Beskrestnov dismissed claims that Russian drones had been fitted with an additional electric motor to enable silent flight.

Instead, he explained that the aircraft rely on the speed generated by their jet engines, using accumulated momentum to complete the final stage of an attack after propulsion is switched off.

“There is no such engine. What does exist, however, is a tactic of shutting down the jet engine before impact. The jet engine provides enough acceleration and momentum for the final part of the flight to take place in silence,” Beskrestnov wrote.

The expert also warned that Russian forces have increasingly attempted to bring Shahed drones toward their targets at extremely low altitudes, particularly in areas free of obstacles. This approach is intended to reduce their visibility to Ukrainian radar systems and could leave air defense teams with considerably less time to respond.

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War in Ukraine

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“Recently, there have also been attempts to approach targets at extremely low altitudes in areas where there are no obstacles along the Shahed’s path (so that our radars cannot detect them). Mobile fire groups and others need to take both factors into account. A Shahed can appear out of nowhere,” he added.

The reported tactics come as Russia continues expanding its use of jet-powered attack drones, including newer variants of the Iranian-designed Shahed family.

According to figures released by Ukraine’s Armed Forces on November 11, Russian forces launched 3,519 Shahed-type and other attack drones against Ukraine during the first ten days of November, including 1,695 jet-powered UAVs. Ukrainian defenders reportedly neutralized 1,406 of the faster drones during that period.

Previously, Ukrainian Marines from the 38th Separate Marine Brigade destroyed two Russian Shahed drones with a single interceptor UAV in the Donetsk direction.

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