Free Republic

Iranian suicide/loitering drones (kamikaze UAVs) typically have modest payload capacities, in the range of 30–50 kg for the most common types, with some variants or larger models reaching higher. Key Examples Shahed-136 (most prominent, widely exported/used): ~200 kg total weight, payload ~30–50 kg (commonly cited as ~40 kg warhead). Russian variants (Geran-2) have reached ~90 kg in some modified configurations by reducing fuel/range. Shahed-131 (smaller variant): ~10–20 kg payload. Other types like Ababil series or Hadid-110: Often 30–40 kg. Larger systems (e.g., Arash series): Up to ~225–260 kg in some reports, but these are less common for pure "suicide drone"...

Russia has used a powerful thermobaric weapon, the ODAB-1500 bomb, for the first time in the conflict, hitting the village of Velyka Pysarivka in the Sumy region, reports the German tabloid Bild. The explosion of the ODAB-1500 bomb is reported to have created a smoke cloud reaching a height of one kilometer. This Soviet-era thermobaric device releases a flammable liquid in aerosol form approximately ten meters from the target before ignition, resulting in a devastating blast. In previous attacks within Ukraine, Russian forces had used smaller variants of the ODAB, ranging from 170 to 500 kilograms. The deployment of the...