Russia is planning to carry out at least half of its long-range drone attacks against Ukraine with jet-powered uncrewed systems, said the commander in chief of Ukraine’s forces.
“The enemy is constantly changing its UAV tactics, increasing their numbers, and improving their quality,” Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote in a social media post on Thursday. “The aggressor plans to raise the share of jet-powered attack drones to 50%.”
These turbojet drones are much faster and harder to intercept than the propeller-driven delta-wing drones Russia uses by the thousands.
Syrskyi didn’t provide any evidence for his assessment of Russia’s plans, but wrote that the shift “presents new challenges that require a timely response.”
The Geran-2, Russia’s analog of the Iranian Shahed-136 loitering munition, remains the Kremlin’s most commonly used long-range strike drone.
But Kyiv has anticipated for months that Russia would significantly expand its production and use of jet-powered drones, which current Ukrainian air defenses could struggle to counter at scale.
The Geran-3, for example, is closely related to the Shahed-238, a drone reported to fly at over 205 mph. A later version with a more powerful engine and a shorter nose, the Geran-4, has been said by Ukrainian intelligence to fly at speeds of over 300 mph.
Kyiv’s forces now use a combination of electronic warfare, mobile machine-gun fire groups, interceptor missiles, and interceptor drones — small drones designed to intercept and crash into Gerans.
These quadcopters have become a rising force in Ukraine’s air defense. Syrskyi said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had used interceptor drones to take down 3,500 Russian long-range strike and decoy drones in the month of May.
The top speed of turbojet Gerans may prove difficult for Ukraine’s interceptor drones, which are often quadcopters that cost about $2,500 to $6,000 each.
The fastest speed ever recorded for these types of drones is 408 mph, though it was achieved by a quadcopter flying in a straight line without a payload.
In March, Ukrainian drone advisor Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov warned local manufacturers to begin developing solutions to battle turbojet Gerans.
“There is no need to become the ‘one hundred and first’ manufacturer of drones against the current Shaheds,” he wrote. “We need to work for the future.”
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