July 1, 2026: Russia made frequent use of the Iranian Shaheed drone in Ukraine. In 2025 nearly 55,000 drones were launched, while in 2024 it was only 11,500. In the first two years of the war only 3,800 Shaheeds were used. Gepards effectiveness caused Russia to use a third fewer Shaheed drones, because Gepards were downing 87 percent of the drones.

Ukrainians quickly discovered that the best way to shoot down these drones was with a German Gepard anti-aircraft gun designed during the 1948-1991 Cold War. The Gepard is a self-propelled 35 mm radar-controlled cannon that entered service in 1976. It weighs 48 tons, is 7.7 meters long and 3.7 meters wide. There is a crew of three; driver, gunner and commander. Main armament is two × 35 mm Oerlikon autocannon with 320 rounds each. There are also two quad 76mm smoke dischargers to provide protection from enemy attacks. Operational range of the vehicle is 550 kilometers, and top speed is 65 kilometers an hour. Armor varies from 20mm to 30mm. This is enough to survive most drone attacks, small arms fire and nearby explosions. Ukraine has 67 Gepards but will receive another 60 from the Americans this year.