The sound is associated with the Shahed series of Iranian-designed drones, especially the Shahed-136, which became widely recognized through footage shared during the Russia-Ukraine war from 2022 onward. Its engine note spread online because listeners repeatedly compared it to a moped or lawnmower overhead. That distinctive comparison helped turn the audio into a meme format as well as an identifier in news clips, military commentary and reaction edits. It remains widely used because many viewers recognize the buzz immediately, even without seeing the drone.