Kyiv, Ukraine – A Russian man who filmed a heavy drone that crashed in a field outside the western Russian village of Shirinka was jubilant.

In a video posted online on May 26, the unidentified man said the white drone belonged to Ukraine and carried “missiles”.

German military analyst Julian Roepke said the drone was a malfunctioned heavy, Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drone.

“Iranian arms support for Russia at a new level,” he posted on X.

The crash landing revealed an unpleasant surprise for Ukraine.

The alleged “missiles” attached to the crashed drone were high-precision aerial bombs that were supposed to be dropped on the northern Ukrainian region of Sumy, analyst Roepke said.

Tehran supplies them to Moscow – along with cheaper, slower Shahed “kamikaze” drones, artillery shells and, reportedly, ballistic missiles. Observers say they are sent in return for the Kremlin’s international backing and far more advanced Russian weaponry that can shield Iran from potential Israeli and United States attacks.

Since 2022, Shaheds have become “ersatz cruise missiles” that allow Moscow to launch massive, frequent assaults on energy infrastructure and civilian sites, according to Ukrainian military analyst Mykhailo Zhirokhov.

“In the fall of 2022, Russians almost succeeded in plunging the entire country into darkness with the help of such drones,” Zhirokhov told Al Jazeera.

The sight and sound of Shaheds horrified Ukrainians, and the destruction they caused brought the war to the doorsteps of millions.

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/5/how-iran-contributes-to-russias-war-in-ukraine