"I suppose we will need many years...to make this territory safe again," bomb disposal experts deal with the aftermath of Iranian-made drones in Ukraine.
ADVERTISEMENTAs darkness falls on the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, some residents can hear the ominous sound of Iranian-made drones launched by Russian forces throughout the night.
These devices are reportedly rudimentary, with wooden propellers. But they are also extremely dangerous.
"It's a weapon that ignites the air,” said Olexandr Krivobog, a police bomb disposal expert in Mykolayiv.
“Even if the drone itself does little damage to the building, there`s a high probability of a flammable explosion that will cause a massive devastation."
Some of these drones allegedly contain parts from Poland, Italy and other Western countries.
On Friday, the UK, France and Germany called on the UN to investigate the use of these drones in Ukraine.
"An investigation by the UN secretariat team responsible for the implementation of Security Council resolution 2231 would be welcome, and we are willing to support the work of the secretariat to conduct its technical and impartial investigation," noted the letter sent by these states.
Resolution 2231 of 2015 endorsed the now terminal Iranian nuclear deal between the Middle Eastern country and Russia, China, Germany, the UK and France, which aimed for a gradual lifting of economic sanctions against Tehran.
On Thursday, the White House claimed that Iranian military personnel were in Crimea to help Russian forces learn how to handle these devices.
A single warhead can scatter hundreds of small bombs over a large area, leaving behind a dangerous legacy.
"I suppose we will need many years, decades, maybe even centuries in order to make this territory safe again," Krivobog added.
Tehran denied the claims that it is providing drones to the Russian forces. And its foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said on Monday that the reports have “political ambitions and [are] circulated by western sources.”