Fears Putin stepping up kamikaze drone blitz as ‘elite Iranian troops train Russian forces how to operate them’

FEARS are growing Vladimir Putin is stepping up his drone blitz in Ukraine as elite Iranian troops are reportedly training Russian forces how to operate kamikaze drones. This week, Russia viciously attacked the Kyiv region and other cities with kamikaze drones and missiles as retribution after Ukraine blew up the key Kerch bridge linking Russian to annexed Crimea. GettyIran has been accused of providing Russian troops with ‘kamikaze drones’[/caption] AFPUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised Iran for what it called ‘a collaboration with evil’[/caption] Now it has been revealed elite Iranian troops have secretly entered Ukraine to help Putin’s horror blitz and have been training Russian forces how to operate kamikaze drones – known as Shahed-136. Up to 50 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) specialists have joined Russian forces on the southern and eastern front with hundreds of the killer drones, The Daily Mirror reported. Iran-made self-destroying Shahed-136 (also known as a Heran 2) were developed as suicide crafts that could loiter above targets before attacking them and have recently been hammering Ukrainian cities. The drones, which are guided by satellite navigation, come equipped with an explosive warhead and can fly at a range of up to 2,500km at 185km/h. READ MORE IN UKRAINE WAR NEWS CONSCRIPT CATCHERS Pics show Putin’s press gangs snatching civilians for Ukraine frontline STRIKE FORCE Putin deploys 11 nuclear bombers near Nato border as Russia warns of WW3 A Ukrainian military source claimed “at least one of the Iranian training teams has been hit recently and they are actively being hunted down.” “We have been concerned for some time that IRGC specialists are helping Russia in their terrible attacks on civilians and they are of course being targeted.” While Iran denied any involvement in the conflict, the source alleged Putin’s senior commanders signed up the IRGC troops, which they claimed are based in Dzankoi in Crimea and Kherson in Ukraine’s south. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky‘s allies have vowed to supply his army with advanced air defense systems to counteract Russia’s use of Iranian kamikaze drones, and missiles. Most read in News TREVOR KAVANAGH PM Liz Truss is like a dead parrot nailed to her perch by terrified Tories HOTEL ASYLUM Inside hotel that houses asylum seekers after sacking 75% of its staff HOW LIZ LOST IT Inside Liz Truss' first 40 days in power that ended in political meltdown GRIM END Sex offender may have held Leah Croucher captive for weeks before killing her FUTURE SHOCK I’m a time traveller from 3036 - the is world faces horror ‘big blackout’ soon POOL HORROR Brit found dead floating in swimming pool in Menorca as cops launch probe The UK this week announced it would provide ground-to-air AMRAAM rockets and hundreds of aerial drones for information-gathering and logistics support, plus 18 howitzer artillery guns. The rockets will work with American NASAMS air defence systems and are due to arrive within weeks. Read More on The Sun VANTASTIC People are just realising what the Vans logo looks like and their minds are blown COLD COmfort Aldi shoppers praise £35 bargain cosy fleece duvet set 'ideal' for winter Kyiv previously blasted Iran for what it called “a collaboration with evil” and stripped Iran’s ambassador to Ukraine of his title over the country’s decision to allegedly supply Russian forces with drones. In September, Zelensky said: “Today the Russian army used Iranian drones for its strikes (…) The world will know about every instance of collaboration with evil, and it will have corresponding consequences.” ReutersVladimir Putin admitted failures in Ukraine this week despite firing 100 missiles across Ukraine in less than a week[/caption]