On Thursday, October 9, Ukrainian defense media reported that the Belgian arms giant Thales had developed and delivered a specially developed missile warhead to Ukraine. It is intended to help Ukrainian air defense forces fight night attacks by dozens and sometimes hundreds of Russian long-range kamikaze drones.
The FZ123 ammunition from Thales Belgium is laser guided and contains close a kilogram of explosives and thousands of steel bearingswhich are to de-protect near the target.
The newly developed warhead mounted on a popular 70 mm rocket – a weapon that has been used for years by land vehicles, helicopters and combat aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (SZU) – creates a ball of fragments with a radius of approximately 25 m capable of reliably knocking down small and medium combat drones.
SZU land forces use 70 mm laser-guided rockets manufactured by Thales fired from land-based launchers, usually from HUMMV vehicles equipped with the VAMPIRE starter kit [wyrzutnie rakietowe RM-70] from September 2023
By December 2023, the United States Department of Defense has transferred 14 VAMPIRE systems to the Armed Forces. In February 2025, the Trump administration cut off Ukraine from direct military aid but has since allowed limited transfers, provided that European countries pay for the weapons with a margin. Since then, Kyiv has been looking for alternative sources of weapons and ammunition that could replace supplies of American weapons.
Under the design, a NATO-standard 70 mm rocket equipped with a Belgian FZ123 warhead would operate normally when fired from the US VAMPIRE missile system, providing the Air Force with an effective anti-aircraft weapon to replace the munitions stream interrupted by the United States.
This week, Greek media reported the signing of an important agreement between Athens and Prague regarding the transfer of thousands of old 70 mm rockets that were to be withdrawn from the Greek army. Instead, they were sold to the Czech Republic, which, thanks to the financing of NATO countries, will transfer the missiles to Ukraine. Potentially, the Greek missile deal would provide the SZU with thousands of 70 mm launch missiles that can be equipped with advanced FZ123 warheads.
Destruction after a Russian military attack using Shahed drones that hit two schools, Slovyansk, Ukraine, October 7, 2025.JOSE COLON / AFP
Ukraine's complex air defense task involves using a variety of systems to combat incoming Shahed drones – from relatively modern F-16 fighters that hunt Russian devices in the air to highly effective but expensive Norwegian and American ground-launched anti-aircraft missiles.
Other tactics include the use of attack helicopters in an unusual interdiction role, anti-aircraft hand-held launchers manned by infantry deployed near the likely target, and pickup truck patrols with heavy machine guns manned by members of the National Guard.
Putin's drones from global warehouses
The Russian Shahed drone designed in Iran is powered by a propeller comparable in size to a small car and flies at relatively low speeds. Launched from launch rails up to 600 km away, it typically carries 50-75 kg of explosives and, less often, warheads designed to start fires or injure people with shrapnel.
Since early 2023, Russia has launched waves of Shahed drones almost nightly, routinely sending 50-150 unmanned aerial vehicles to Ukraine and more than 600 in large airstrikes. Although the Kremlin says it only attacks military targets, Russian Shahed drones are more likely to strike civilian buildings or private homes. In a typical attack, Ukrainian air defense usually claims to be able to destroy or divert 75-80 percent of the missiles from the strike path. Shahed drones launched by Russian forces.
During October meetings with G7 countries on planning sanctions against Russia, Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, Serhiy Kyslytsa, said in comments quoted by Western media that Russia uses at least three different models of Shahedeach of which would be impossible to produce without regular supplies of foreign components going to Russia bypassing sanctions.
Serhiy Kyslytsa shows photos of Russia's attacks on Ukraine during a meeting of the UN Security Council, New York, USA, July 9, 2024.SARAH YENESEL / PAP
Shahed, assembled under license by Russia in a newly built factory in Tatarstan, is a drone dependent on foreign components, containing 120 parts from China and Taiwan and 100 from the United States. The production of Shaheds produced in Izhevsk – the heart of the Russian arms industry – uses about 112 imported parts (about 40 each from the USA, China and Taiwan).
— Shahed assembled in Iran uses 105 imported components, including 40 from the United States
– Kyslyca informed.
According to data published by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (HUR), parts for Shahed drones produced abroad are most often electronic components used for communication and navigation. Drones are also often equipped with major components such as engines and control surfaces that Russian industry is unable to produce.
The list of American manufacturers provided by HUR whose parts were found in the Shahed drones shot down in Ukraine includes, among others: AMTEL, AMD, Texas Instruments, Microchip Technology, Analog Devices, SPANSION, Pulse Electronics Corporation, Infineon Technologies, Monolithic Power Systems, Nvidia, ON Semiconductor, Integrated Silicon Solution and Marvell Technology Group.
According to Ukrainian intelligence data, Russian Shahed drone manufacturers are most likely to choose the company's products Texas Instruments.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
