Illustrative image.
Russia’s new jet-powered Geran-5 and Geran-4 attack drones have significantly increased the effectiveness of strikes against targets deep inside Ukraine, taking advantage of shortages of air defense missiles and the deteriorating condition of Ukraine’s fighter fleet, according to an article published in the Russian Military Yearbook-2027.
The assessment appears in an editorial article published in the annual military reference book, an advance copy of which was obtained by RIA Novosti on November 3.
“By the beginning of 2026, the development of two new models in the Geran family had been completed: the Geran-5 and Geran-4 Seeker. Both drones are equipped with compact jet engines. Their combat use began in the spring of this year,” the authors wrote.
The Geran-5 features an entirely new cylindrical fuselage, small rectangular wings positioned in the middle of the body and tail-mounted stabilizers, bringing its design closer to that of a cruise missile.
Unlike Russia’s conventional Kh-101 and Kh-555 strategic cruise missiles or the Kh-59 and Kh-69 tactical missiles, however, the Geran-5 is launched from ground-based platforms, allowing Russia to deploy the weapons in large numbers on an almost continuous basis.
The drone has a cruising speed of 350 kilometers per hour and a maximum speed of up to 700 kilometers per hour. Its warhead weighs between 50 and 100 kilograms, depending on the amount of fuel carried, giving it an estimated range of 600 to 1,000 kilometers. Its operational ceiling is approximately 6,000 meters.
Russia has also substantially expanded production of the jet-powered drones. Ukraine’s military intelligence estimated in October that Russian industry was producing approximately 4,000 Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones per month combined, up from around 3,000 in August.
The yearbook authors attributed the growing effectiveness of the drones partly to the shortage of interceptor missiles available to Ukrainian air defense systems.
“The acute shortage of guided anti-aircraft missiles for Western air defense systems, resulting from low production volumes in Europe and the United States, as well as the heavy expenditure of these missiles by American and Middle Eastern militaries during the conflict with Iran, prevents the Kyiv regime’s forces from using their limited number of air defense systems to combat jet-powered Gerans,” the article said.
The authors argued that fighter jets remain Ukraine’s only effective means of countering the newer drones, but that this option is also constrained by shortages of air-to-air missiles and the deteriorating condition of the country’s fleet.
They also questioned the capabilities of Ukrainian pilots, concluding that interceptions of Russian attack drones by Ukrainian fighter jets remain isolated incidents.
“Overall, the situation that developed in 2026 has proved highly favorable for systematic, mass strikes against targets of all types throughout Ukraine and its territorial waters, an opportunity that Russia has successfully exploited,” the authors concluded.
The introduction of increasingly capable jet-powered drones marks a growing challenge for Ukraine, particularly as Russia expands their production and integrates them into its long-range strike campaign. Their combination of speed, range and relatively flexible ground-based deployment could further strain Ukraine’s ability to protect critical infrastructure and military facilities across the country.
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coon mulatto jewish alex karp with nappy hair would be beaten to death by the ukrainian white supremacists of the following organizations: ss aidar, ss kraken, wolfsangel (aka azov), waffen ss nachtigall and leibstandarte adolf hitler (who were in kursk killing civilians), right sektor – all of them hate untermensch mongrels like him, and all of them are leading the ukrainian government and military. all of them funded by the us tax payers