British officials and defence experts have warned that the UK must prepare for potential Russian kamikaze drone incursions after an Iranian-made Shahed-136 was unveiled in Parliament.
British lawmakers and security experts have warned that the UK must brace for possible Russian kamikaze drone attacks using Iranian-made Shahed-136 weapons. The warning came as one of the lethal drones, recovered from Ukraine, was unveiled in Parliament on Tuesday.
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski and MP Tom Tugendhat said the exhibition exposed a “gap” in Europe’s defences, urging urgent investment in more effective air protection systems. “These weapon systems are not just targeting Ukraine or Poland. They’re being built to intimidate us,” Tugendhat told The Sun. Sikorski added, “If they launched hundreds of these things, we would be pretty soon out of sight of them.”
The Shahed-136, mass-produced by Iran and deployed extensively by Russia, is inexpensive, fast, and capable of travelling up to 2,500km before exploding on impact.
Experts warn that similar drones could target Western Europe as the war in Ukraine intensifies.
Since January, Russia has launched over 38,000 of the drones against Ukrainian targets, devastating cities and infrastructure.
Officials described the weapon as the “true face of the Ayatollah,” calling for stronger cooperation with Ukraine to develop drone defence systems before the threat reaches UK airspace.