In the last few weeks, both Iran and Russia deny that so called kamikaze drones used in Moscow's aerial bombardments have come from Iran, but the west there's mounting evidence, this is the case.

Use of such drones would violate a U.

N.

Resolution curbing Iranian weapons exports.

This is a scene that Ukrainians have grown familiar with a kamikaze drone flying over their heads in the center of the capital Kiev that police try to shoot down with machine guns before it crashes into buildings.

Though Iran deny selling such drones to Russia, Kiev says Moscow resorted to Iran.

Major had won 36 drones to attack Ukraine's energy and civilian infrastructures.

The unmanned aircraft is one of a series of drones made by Iran where the wingspan of 2.5 m.

It can carry 40 kg of explosives.

It's classified as the loitering munition as it can stay in the air for hours until the target is found, then it zooms in becoming a missile that destroys itself on impact.

Military experts say they have been rebranded grand to buy Russia and used extensively to carry out strikes across Ukraine such as here in the northeastern city of hark if compared to missiles, drones are cheap, €20,000 per unit.

Ukraine says Russia has ordered 2000 more.

Their use represents a new challenge to Ukraine's air defense, even if they report having shot down over 220 drones over the last month.

The Kamikaze type flies low can be sent alone or in swamps and can cause considerable damage.

Arthur Holland Michel, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Council and the founder of the Center for the Study of the drone is widely regarded as one of the world's leading drone experts.

He gave us his assessment of what we're looking at here.

Well, as the report said, we're looking at a fairly rudimentary weapons system, it doesn't carry a lot of explosive, but because it flies very low to the ground, it's hard to detect on radar.

A lot of them do actually get through and can hit targets.

And they've had a tremendous effect already in the last few weeks that they've being used.

What are the challenges that such drones pose relative to to say more conventional weapons, such as shells and missiles?

Well, you know, conventional air defense systems have had many decades to respond to those sorts of traditional weapons drones represent a novel threat.

The systems aren't really designed to detect them to track them and indeed to shoot them down.

What Ukraine has relied on is a kind of patchwork of different detection systems.

Visual observers.

They've even relied on fighter jets to try and chase these systems down.

They have had some success in shooting down a couple of 100 of these systems, but the cost of shooting down these very cheap drones has been very, very high for Ukraine and the millions of dollars.

And because Russia can launch them in large numbers.

Not only are they incurring a cost on Ukrainian forces in terms of the weapons they have to use, but also there's always a probability that some of the drones of these swarms are going to be able to get through and hit their targets.

It is interesting that Russia has only recently started using those drones.

What do you think?

What does it tell us about the state of the Russian army that they appear now to have shifted to?

A strategy that actually relies heavily on drone attacks?

I mean, it may show some signs of, for example, uh, the, you know, the reduction in reserves of other equivalent weapons, like like cruise missiles.

You know, I think we're somewhat limited into how much we can read into what it says about the other kinds of weapons that Russia is using, but it certainly shows that they have access to a capability.

The that wasn't, it didn't really figure in therefore structure at the beginning of the war.

If they are able to continue accessing these drones in the same numbers, that that is going to be significant unless Ukraine finds a even more and perhaps cheaper way of actually defending against these systems, it could have a lasting Effect I think.

And because Russia can launch these systems from pretty far back.

I mean they have a range of up to 2000 km, even if they get pushed further back by Ukrainian counter offensives, these weapons can continue to reach deep into Ukrainian territory.

Right, well, it's a pretty scary scenario certainly from the Ukrainian perspective, I mean, how might the use of these drones change the dynamic in this?

What does it do to the people on the ground?

Well, it's precisely the fear factor, you know, drones compared to other weapons.

Not only are they very effective, but they also have a kind of psychological, emotional impact on the world stage.

You know, they they they're good for creating headlines for shaping the narrative for, you know, showing that Russia is an advanced force that's able to to sort of soak chaos.

Of course it is able to do that, but it's already been able to do that with other conventional means of warfare.

So if Russia is able to continue these types of drone attacks, then these attacks are going to continue to be in the news, people are going to continue to be talking about them and that could have a profound effect on the overall narrative of the conflict and how it's how it's evolving.