Camilla Jessen
A modified Iranian-made Shahed-136 suicide drone has been discovered in Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces have reportedly shot down a modified version of the Iranian-made Shahed-136 suicide drone featuring advanced AI technology and manual control capabilities, according to military electronics expert Serhii Flesh, who shared photos of the wreckage on June 19.
This is the first confirmed sighting of the AI-enhanced Shahed-136 in Ukraine, although such modifications had been rumored for some time.
The downed drone included an onboard camera, a direct radio control system, and an artificial vision module.
According to Flesh, the radio modem allows Russian operators to manually steer the drone from up to 150 kilometers away.
In theory, its range could extend further if airborne signal relays are used.
Iranian Tech
Analysis of the wreckage by the military-linked Telegram channel “Polkovnyk HSH” concluded that the drone was a genuine Iranian Shahed-136, not a Russian-assembled Geran-2.
This may suggest renewed full-drone deliveries from Iran, rather than just parts for assembly in Russia as seen in recent years.
The drone was reportedly equipped with an 8-element CRPA antenna, developed in Iran, which boosts resistance to GPS jamming and improves accuracy in environments with heavy electronic warfare activity.
The most notable upgrade was the inclusion of a machine vision module powered by an NVIDIA Jetson Orin AI processor. This is the same AI chip found in Russia’s newer V2U drones and allows the drone to guide itself onto targets even without GPS.
“Machine vision based on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin module—like in the new Russian V2U strike drone—is used for terminal targeting, essentially functioning as a self-guiding warhead,” Polkovnyk HSH reported.
Military analysts say this development shows a new phase in the Shahed drone program, combining Iranian production with Russian control systems and AI integration. The drones are now potentially more dangerous, with improved precision and jamming resistance.
Earlier, a senior Ukrainian defense official had warned about the growing lethality of Shahed drone strikes, saying some now deliver more explosive power than cruise missiles.