Iranian-made drones cost as little as $20,000 to make but up to $500,000 to shoot down, a growing concern in Ukraine, report says

The cost of shooting down Iranian-made drones over Ukraine can far outweigh the price of manufacturing them, offering Russia an advantage in its invasion of the country, The New York Times reported.

While the Shahed-136 drones being deployed by Russia cost as little as $20,000 to make, shooting one out of the sky can cost between $140,000 and $500,000, The Times reported.

This has created a growing problem for Ukraine and its allies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces have increasingly relied on the Shahed-136, which self-destructs on contact with its target.

As Ukraine rang in the new year, it faced a barrage of 84 of these drones, with its air force saying it shot down every last one.

But as remarkable an achievement as that may be, it's likely to be difficult to sustain given the cost.

Ukraine has used a wide variety of methods to stop the drones, including bringing Soviet-era antiaircraft guns back into play.

Small-arms fire and missiles fired from warplanes have also been deployed.

But the Shahed-136 flies "low and slow" and is "literally trying to fly under the radar," James Rogers, an associate professor in war studies at the University of Southern Denmark who has advised the UN on drones, told Insider in December.

Launched in waves of six or seven at a time, the drones aim to act as a rudimentary swarm to overwhelm defenses.

During the New Year's onslaught, Ukrainian officials said they deployed a more costly option to counter them, several times firing missiles from National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, The Times reported.

NASAMS is a short- to midrange air-defense system sent to Ukraine by the US in November. Firing it, The Times reported, costs $500,000.