Russia uses in Ukraine new drones of national production Italmaslighter, cheaper and more difficult to detect than the Iranian Shahed, while on the battlefield Ukraine resists the advance of the Russian forces in the northeast of Avdivka, causing heavy casualties.
The Italmas was presented last September by the Russian company ZALA Aero and is powered by a two-stroke engine. It has a range of more than 200 kilometers, and can go into the rear Ukrainian, as it is difficult to detect and shoot down.
Several Russian media, such as Mash and Lenta, have shown videos with their alleged first use in Ukraine last Mondayalthough at the moment the Russian Ministry of Defense has not confirmed its use.
“The Italmas drones could be part of a broader ammunition diversification effort,” reported the American Institute for War Studies (ISW) in its daily report.
According to the think tank, with the new drone Russia is trying to “diversify its drone arsenalmissiles and guided bombs for attacks against critical Ukrainian infrastructure.”