SOUTH DARFUR – Satellite analysis by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) has revealed that Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) deployed advanced “suicide drones” and launch systems in Darfur, marking a sharp escalation in the group’s ability to strike across the entire country. The findings, released on September 12, 2025, are based on imagery collected between May 1 and 6 north of Nyala airport, a base firmly under RSF control. Analysts identified 13 delta-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 16 pneumatic launch platforms, consistent with Shahed-136-style loitering munitions or similar models such as the sunflower-200 or ZT-180, both Chinese-designed.
These drones typically have ranges between 1,500 and 2,500 kilometers, meaning that every region of Sudan falls within their operational reach, including Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast and Kassala near the Eritrean border. Both cities were struck by drone attacks in the same week these weapons were documented in Nyala.
The imagery shows that on May 6, all 16 launchers were visible, with 11 drones mounted and apparently ready to be fired. In later satellite photos taken on May 9, the UAVs were no longer present, although the launch systems remained in position, and they continued to appear in subsequent images through September 5. HRL notes that while it cannot draw a definitive link between the drones seen at Nyala and the specific UAvs that hit Port Sudan between May 3 and 7, it is certain that RSF has fielded and deployed long-range loitering munition technology from Darfur since at least May. The absence of the drones in later imagery, while their launchers remained, indicates mobility and the ability to redeploy quickly to other sites, a factor that significantly complicates monitoring and preemptive strikes.
According to the Yale report, the drones can carry warheads weighing from 20 to 50 kilograms, with some models confirmed to have payloads of 40 kilograms. This destructive capability allows them to threaten both heavily fortified military facilities and vital civilian infrastructure. In early May, drone attacks attributed to the RSF struck Port Sudan’s international airport, oil depots, hotels, and even naval facilities, killing civilians and destroying assets in Sudan’s temporary administrative capital. The attacks continued over several days, extending to Kassala and other areas far removed from Darfur’s battlefields, underscoring the strategic value of the new weapons to RSF commanders.
This capability represents a qualitative leap in RSF’s arsenal. Earlier in the year, Reuters documented the presence of chinese CH-95 drones at Nyala airport. With a range of only about 200 kilometers, they were used to strike closer targets such as fuel depots and garrisons. by contrast, the newly identified suicide drones extend RSF’s reach to any point in Sudan. Analysts warn that such systems are designed to crash into targets and detonate, making them highly destructive and difficult to defend against once launched. Their employment against distant civilian and economic sites indicates a deliberate escalation in RSF strategy.
The source of these weapons remains murky. Darfur has been subject to a UN arms embargo since the early 2000s, though violations have been frequent. Experts cited by Reuters suggest the UAVs could be Chinese-made, though they do not rule out Russian or Iranian models. Sudanese officials and some UN reports have accused the United Arab Emirates of supplying advanced weapons to RSF, allegations that Abu Dhabi denies. The UAE maintains it has no role in Sudan’s war and highlights its financial contributions to humanitarian aid for Sudanese civilians instead.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), facing the prospect of long-range drone strikes deep inside its territory, has carried out repeated air raids on Nyala airport in recent months, including as recently as this week, in an effort to neutralize the threat. But the Yale report concludes that RSF now possesses a nationwide strike capability, one that can be shifted and redeployed swiftly. This not only raises the risk to civilians and critical infrastructure but also threatens to prolong and expand the conflict into areas far beyond current battle zones. The findings point to a turning point in Sudan’s war: the introduction of advanced loitering munitions has transformed RSF into a force with strategic reach, capable of striking cities, ports, and humanitarian hubs across the country.
