Iran’s Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drones Enter The Service of the Armed Foces of Belarus Under The Name Kochevnik
On July 3, the Republic of Belarus hosted a major military parade on the “Hero City” square at the intersection of Pobediteley Boulevard and Masherova Street in the capital Minsk to commemorate the country’s 80th anniversary of liberation from Nazi occupation. This year’s parade, which had a much larger participation than previous Independence Day celebrations, was highlighted by the display of Iranian-made Shahed-136 Kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles, which have been frequently mentioned recently. As a result, it was revealed for the first time that Belarus has these types of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Belarusian state television broadcasted footage of a military parade that included four drones, including two Shahed-136s with serial numbers Ы3502 – Kochevnik and Ы3503 – Songol on the Chinese truck “GWM King Kong Cannon” and two drones whose serial numbers and names were not visible. Kamikaze drones with the serial number “Ыxxxx” were previously seen during Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. As a result, the Shahed-136s owned by Belarus could be argued to be Geran-2s produced under license by Russian manufacturers rather than direct supplies from Iran. It is also possible that Belarus, like Russia, produced these unmanned aerial vehicles in its own country under license.
Shahed-136, a loitering munition developed in collaboration with the Iranian Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation (HESA) and Shahed Aviation Industries, was actively used in Iran’s attack on Israel in April, as well as by Revolutionary Guard proxies in the Middle East and during Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine. The Shahed-136, which has a delta wing-fuselage design similar to Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Harpy, is 3.5 meters long and has a wingspan of 2.5 meters. These drones, which are claimed to have a 50 kg warhead, can reach speeds of 185 km/h and have a range of 2500 km thanks to the 50 hp MADO MD-550 piston engine driving a two-blade propeller. These drones also include CRPA GNSS navigation and a low IR/RF signature.
Whether it is called Shahed-136, Geran-2 or Kochevnik, the fact that Belarus, Russia’s closest ally and neighbor of NATO countries such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, possesses these disposable unmanned aerial vehicles does not change the fact that they pose a future threat to the Western bloc, particularly Ukraine. Although the Minsk government, led by Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko, who has advocated Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict, has so far refused to join the war on Moscow’s side, this does not prevent it from strengthening its army to be prepared for any situation.