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The Russian military tripled the use of Geran-5 jet-powered one-way attack drones against targets of Kyiv forces in recent weeks, Russian military bloggers reported on August 26.
In recent days, several videos showing Geran-5 drones flying over different parts of Ukraine, mainly the regions of Sumy and Chernihiv in the east and northeast of the country, surfaced online, with some of the footage showing the drones scoring direct hits.
The Geran-5 features a design that is more similar to that of a land-attack cruise missile, said to be inspired by Iran’s Karrar drone.
The drone is reported to be propelled by a copy of the Chinese Telefly TF-TJ2000A turbojet engine, with a range of 1,000 kilometers and a speed between 450 and 600 kilometers per hour. It can be equipped with an artificial-intelligence-powered electro-optical targeting system, in addition to the basic jamming-resistant GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said Russia is now producing upwards of 3,000 jet-powered drones, including not just Geran-5s, but also smaller Geran-4s.
The Geran-4 is a deeply upgraded version of the Geran-3, which is alleged to be a copy of the Iranian Shahed-238 jet-powered drone.
The drone retains the overall delta-wing design, but with improved aerodynamic and stealth features. It is also equipped with a more powerful turbojet engine — allegedly a copy of the Chinese Telefly TF-TJ1600A. It can reportedly reach speeds between 350 and 500 kilometers per hour and has an effective range of 850 kilometers.
While both the Geran-5 and 4 are typically used for one-way attacks, they can be both armed with air-to-air missiles and deployed as interceptors, according to the GUR. The intelligence service also previously warned that the drones can be launched from Su-25 close air support jets, which would give them greater range.
These jet-powered aircraft pose a major threat to Ukrainian air defenses by bridging the gap between cheap loitering munitions and cruise missiles.
The higher speeds of the Geran-5 and 4 render Ukraine’s low-cost mobile fire groups and propeller interceptors largely obsolete against them. This forces defenders to rely on scarce, highly expensive missile systems like NASAMS or Patriot, severely straining ammunition stocks and saturating air defense networks with high-speed, mass-produced threats.
The recent increase in jet-powered drone production, in addition to reports of expansion in launch sites, is likely meant to prepare for wider use of these drones against Ukraine next winter.
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57000 geran drones launched by russia since the war began and what were the effects? ukrainian resolve is stronger than ever and russia is still losing more men on the battlefield than it can replace. russia’s terrorization campaign against the ukrainian populace has officially failed