Russia is shifting to faster jet-powered Shahed drones, making them harder for Ukraine to intercept. The navy says ballistic missiles remain the bigger threat.
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Russia is cutting back on its use of conventional Shahed attack drones and placing more emphasis on faster jet-powered models, the Ukrainian navy said Monday.
“The Russians are reducing the number of conventional drones they use while effectively increasing the number of jet-powered drones,” said Capt. 3rd Rank Dmytro Pletenchuk, speaking to Ukrainian state TV outlet Ukrinform. “In other words, the Russians are now betting primarily on those.”
The Kremlin’s Shahed drones follow the design of Iranian attack drones but are manufactured in Russia. Many are launched from southern Russia and occupied Crimea, with flight paths crossing the Black Sea. Jet-powered versions, designated Geran-3 and Geran-4, have appeared in Russian air attacks since last summer. A newer model, the Geran-5 – a version of Iran’s Karrar drone said to fly at speeds up to 373 miles per hour – made its combat debut in January.
Ukraine’s former commander in chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, said in June that Russia plans to eventually have 50% of its long-range attack drone waves consist of jet-powered systems. The higher speeds pose a challenge for Ukrainian interceptors. Ukraine has used first-person-view quadcopter drones as a cheap counter to the propeller-driven Shaheds. Those interceptors typically fly at around 175 miles per hour. That is too slow to catch jet-powered models. Some manufacturers say they have improved interceptors to reach about 230 miles per hour, roughly the top speed of a Geran-3.
Pletenchuk said the greatest hurdle Ukraine now faces is countering Russia’s ballistic missiles. “The main challenge, of course, remains ballistic missiles,” he said. “It’s no secret.” Kyiv has said it desperately lacks advanced interceptor missiles, most notably Patriot systems, to neutralize those threats.
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