‘Kamikaze’ is a Japanese word. It means ‘holy air’. Kamikaze drones are equipped with explosives or warheads. They can stay over the target for a relatively long time and launch a rapid attack on the target after receiving instructions from the operator or according to internal algorithms.
Kamikaze drones explode upon contact with a target and destroy or damage the target. That is, a kamikaze drone can only be used once. Since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia and Ukraine have used kamikaze drones against each other in significant numbers. The Russians are mainly using self-made kamikaze drones supplied by Iran.
‘Switchblade-300’ and ‘Switchblade-600’ are kamikaze drones manufactured by the American drone manufacturing company Aero environment. Since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the United States has supplied Ukraine with at least 1,000 Switchblade-300 and Switchblade-600 kamikaze drones.
In May 2022, the Ukrainians used Switchblade-300 drones against the Russians for the first time in Kharkiv/Kharkiv province. Since then, they have used switchblade drones extensively against the Russians. When these drones were supplied to Ukraine, a significant section of Ukrainian supporters claimed that these drones would turn the tide of the Russo-Ukrainian war and inflict huge losses on the Russians.
The ‘Phoenix Ghost’ is a kamikaze drone manufactured by US arms manufacturer Avex Aerospace. After the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the United States delivered 120 Phoenix Ghost drones to Ukraine and promised to deliver 580 more Phoenix Ghost drones later.
The Ukrainians have been using these drones against the Russians since the first phase of the war. But it appears that even these kamikaze drones did not achieve significant success against the Russians. The ‘Warmate’ is a kamikaze drone manufactured by the Polish arms manufacturing company WB Electronics.
The Ukrainians have been using kamikaze drones against the Russians since the early stages of the war. In particular, last April and July, Ukrainians attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the city of Energodar, Zaporizhzhia province, using Warmate drones.