Ukrainian volunteers started a project to restore drone engines Shahed Russians shot down, transforming enemy equipment into useful components for the country’s defense.
The initiative is led by Fundação Beneficente ZAMPOTECHwho reported that each engine takes about two weeks of work before it is ready for reuse.
According to the foundation, “we are restoring enemy drone engines to serve Ukraine. Every detail matters,” said a spokesperson for the organization. For this work, the fund receives dozens of engine units from drones Shahed overthrown by Ukrainian forces.
After restoration, these engines are installed on Ukrainian drones, strengthening the production and operation capacity of unmanned aircraft by the defending side.
What is the Shahed drone used by Russia
The drones used by Russia in its attacks on Ukraine, often called Shahed-136 or designated by Russian forces as Grant-2are unmanned attack aircraft known as “kamikaze” munitions or loitering munitions.
Originally designed in Iran and widely deployed by Moscow since 2022, these drones are launched in large numbers to strike deep targets, including energy infrastructure and strategic positions within Ukrainian territory.
The Shahed-136 has a delta wing shape with stabilizers at the wingtips and is propelled by a piston engine. MD550 air-cooled, similar to that used in projects restored by ZAMPOTECH. Traditionally, this engine is part of the drone’s design and costs between 12,000 and 17,000 dollars, as determined in technical analyses.
This type of drone operates like a guided munition: once launched, it heads towards the predetermined target with its explosive payload, with no return. The estimated range can vary from a thousand to more than two thousand kilometers, and the Shahed can fly at speeds of up to around 185 km/h, making it a long-range attack tool and relatively low cost when compared to traditional missiles.
Since the start of the invasion in 2022, Russia has massively resorted to these drones in night and saturation attacks, seeking to overwhelm Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses with large volumes of aircraft in its incursions.
@militaryanalyse Downed Shahed drone engines are restored and reused by Ukraine Ukrainian volunteers have launched a project to restore engines from downed Russian Shahed drones, turning enemy equipment into useful components for the country’s defense. The initiative is led by the ZAMPOTECH Charitable Foundation, which reported that each engine takes around two weeks of work before it is ready for reuse. According to the foundation, “we are restoring the engines of enemy drones so that they can serve Ukraine. Every detail matters,” a spokesperson said. For this work, the foundation receives dozens of engines recovered from Shahed drones shot down by Ukrainian forces. Once restored, the engines are installed in Ukrainian drones, strengthening the defender’s capacity to produce and operate unmanned aerial vehicles. Source and images: Zampotech Omelyanovych – Facebook @zampotech.org
Source and images: Зампотех Омелянович – facebook @zampotech.org | Militarnyi. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
