Children’s toys in the form of “Shaheeds” have begun to be sold in the Russian Federation
A toy replica of the Iranian drone “Shahed”, which Russia is actively using to strike Ukraine, is being offered for sale to children on a Russian online marketplace. CBS News reports.
On the Ozon website, a small foam drone is presented as a replica of the “Gerani-2” (the Russian designation for the Iranian drone “Shahed”). The description states that the product is “suitable for children aged 6 and over” and supposedly helps develop “coordination, accuracy and imagination”. The toy is also described as a “perfect gift for young patriots and future sky conquerors”.
This toy sells for 350 Russian rubles (about 180 hryvnias) and can be equipped with firecrackers at the tip that explode upon impact, simulating the behavior of a combat drone exploding over a target. Russia is not the only country offering toy copies of combat drones: numerous other models are also presented on global e-commerce platforms.
As a reminder, long-range Iranian drones “Shahed” were widely used during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to attack civilian objects, energy and transport infrastructure; Their relatively low cost and ability to fly at low altitudes have made them a favorite weapon of the Russian Federation since August 2022.
According to a report published by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, in seven months — from August last year to March this year — Russia carried out about 15,000 launches of “Shahed” drones over the territory of Ukraine.
