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Shahed drones, in particular the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 loitering munition, became widely known during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine from 2022, when they were used in large nightly waves against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Videos of their approach spread rapidly on news channels and social media, and their loud, low buzzing engine became instantly recognisable far beyond the front line. As a result, the sound is now reused in documentaries, news edits and memes as shorthand for an incoming drone attack and the anxiety of waiting under air raid alerts.
About this sound
The buzzing sound of a Shahed drone flying overhead, used in war news clips and memes about attacks and air raid alerts during the war in Ukraine.
This clip captures the distinctive low buzz of a Shahed drone passing overhead, a sound that starts as a faint distant hum and grows into a loud, rattling, moped-like drone as it approaches. The steady, menacing whine is instantly recognisable to anyone who has followed coverage of the war in Ukraine, where these unmanned aircraft have become a familiar and dreaded presence in the night sky. Hearing it creates immediate tension and unease, because the noise signals danger approaching long before anything is visible, making it a powerful audio cue for suspense, warning and wartime atmosphere.
