The Iranian-made Shahed drone being deployed by Russia to strike Kyiv citizens trends now Russian drones have continued to rain down on Ukraine, ravaging the country as buildings erupt into fireballs, leaving civilians dead and the rest fleeing for their lives. The Kremlin's 'kamikaze' suicide drones have caused chaos across the war-torn country and have become just another aspect of daily life for those on the ground. These drones - often small in size a cheap in comparison to other similar weapons - have become an integral part of Russia's war tactics, and one drone in particular more than any other. In an attack on Tuesday, the Iranian-supplied Shahed-136 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) shot down from the sky over Kyiv in successive waves of 31 strikes, Ukraine's armed forces said. Although Ukraine's air defense said they were able to shoot down 29 of the strikes, Russia's drones have shown no relent. And while sophisticated drones have been used in return by Ukrainian forces, such as the US-made Predator, the Shahed-136 has proven to be far cruder. The Shaheds, which Russia has rebranded as Geran-2 drones, pack an explosive charge and be fired one after the other. With a range of more than 600 miles, the explosive-laden drones can 'loiter' above potential targets for hours before being slammed directly into enemy soldiers, vehicles or buildings from above - causing an explosion. An Iranian-made suicide drone, launched by Russia, is seen flying above Kyiv amid an aerial attack on the capital, Ukraine, October 17, 2022 A ball of smoke and flames rises over the streets of Kyiv as the city is bombarded by a swarm of Iranian-made kamikaze drones, hitting residential areas and energy infrastructure, October 17, 2022 Iran previously denied providing Russia with weapons, before admitting late last year to providing Moscow with ‘a small number of drones months before the Ukraine war'. Iranian Shahed-136 UAVs: Facts and figures Ukraine has accused Russia of using Iranian-made Shahed-136 UAVs - also known as suicide drones - against military and civilian targets. Tehran has denied selling the drones to Russia, but there is mounting evidence that Moscow is deploying the weapon. Here are some facts and figures about the deadly drone: Weapon type: Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) In service since: 2021 Made in: Iran Maker: HESA (Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation) Weight: 440lbs Warhead: 80lbs Length: 12 feet Wingspan: 8 feet Range: 600 miles Flight height: 13,000ft max. Speed: 120 miles per hour Used in: Yemen, Iraq and Ukraine Iranian-made Shahed-136 UAVs Advertisement These drones have also been repeatedly used by Russia throughout its attack on Ukraine, being used to target urban centers and power stations. They are comparatively cheap, costing in the region of £16,000. Their use in swarms presented a major challenge to Ukrainian air defenses earlier in the war And although Western nations have since bolstered the Ukrainian air defenses with anti-missile systems to shoot down the drones, their sheer relentlessness still grips the country. Ukrainians who have witnessed attacks by the drones say they make a recognisable noise, and have described them as sounding like 'motorbikes' in the air, while some soldiers have taken to calling it 'the flying lawnmower'. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a video in October last year showing a smoking wreckage that it claimed to be one of the drones. The post said it had been shot down by a machine gun. 'This is a primitive handmade product,' Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, told Radio Free Europe (RFE) after the attack last year. 'It's not a high-tech conveyor-belt production like the [Turkish-made] Bayraktar or American and Israeli [unmanned aerial vehicles],' he added. Ukrainian residents described the drone attacks to RFE. 'You can hear the roar. First, I just hear them, but then I saw one fly by and then explode,' one man said. Another said: 'There was a buzz that woke me up. I remember thinking: 'What's that?' The sound was approaching and then there was an explosion near the house.' According to reports, the first recorded use of the drones was in Yemen in Houthi-controlled areas. Now, Iran is reported to have sold hundreds of the drones to Russia. Packed with explosives, the Shahed UAVs prove so effective as they can be preprogrammed with a target's GPS coordinates. They are known as suicide drones because they nosedive into targets and explode on impact like a missile. Iran's Shahed drone has been in service since 2021 and weighs 440lbs Ukrainian air defense intercepts a Shahed drone mid-air in the third Russia aerial attack on the capital in 24 hours in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 30, 2023 A Shahed missile is destroyed mid-air as Ukrainian air defense intercepts an attack, Kyiv, Ukraine, May 30, 2023 Smoke billows from a building hit by a drone attack in downtown Kyiv, 17 October 2022 A security officer uses his rifle to try and take down a suicide drone attacking the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, October 17, 2022 The almost 12-foot long Shahed 136 is designed with a delta-wing shape, with stabilising rudders at the top of the aircraft. The fuselage is at the centre of the drone and blended into the almost 4ft wings, giving it an elegant-looking shape. Drones like the Shaheds are called loitering munitions by the military because when used at short range, they can hover over an area and then hit a target on an operator's command. The explosives are contained in the nose of the drone, as well as the technology that guides it to its targets for a precision strike. The engine, meanwhile, is found at the rear of the drone, and drives two bladed propellers. It has been compared to an engine one would find on a lawnmower or a moped. According to Iranian data, the UAV's range is about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), but drone expert Samuel Bendett with the CNA think tank told MailOnline that the Shahed is being used in Ukraine at much shorter ranges. That's because its GPS guidance system - which is vulnerable to jamming - isn't very robust. In order to overwhelm air defences, several of the drones - generally batches of five and above - are launched at once from the same rack. They are fired almost horizontally with rocket-launch assistance. The rocket is jettisoned on take-off, with the engine taking over once it is airborne. Shaheds are known to have been controlled via radio under the Iranians. Whether Russia is capable of the same in Ukraine is unclear, though Ukrainians have reported seeing the drones change direction, suggesting at least some remote control. Part of a downed Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone launched by Russia is seen near Kupiansk, Ukraine, September 13, 2022 View of an apartment damaged from the middle in a residential building in Kyiv as a result of a Russian military attack by Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones, May 9, 2023 Vehicles are destroyed amid an onslaught of attacks kamikaze drone on May 30, 2023 in Kyiv Because they are cheap - at £16,000 each - and there are a lot of them in supply, Russia has increasingly used Shahed UAVs in Ukraine. They have been used to target civilian infrastructure since the war began. Their use lets Russia avoid putting sophisticated aircraft and pilots at risk and save its limited stock of expensive long-range precision missiles. Fired from a truck launcher in rapid succession, the drones can fly low and slow, better able to avoid radar detection. They are launched in a quick succession in order to overwhelm Ukrainian defences. Russia has managed to use the Shahed drones to effectively saturate targets, whether a fuel depot or infrastructure and utilities like power or water stations. They have done so by using them alongside intelligence drones. But Ukraine has said they have managed to shoot down a vast majority of the drones - over 80 per cent - by using machine guns and portable anti-air missiles. As the conflict rages on to essentially becomes one of attrition, Russia's success in finding cheaper but still potent weapons will continue to be a major advantage. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility