The Guardian: Russia has begun combat use of new UAVs "Geran-5"
The Russian army has started using UAVs of the Geran-5 model, writes The Guardian. They are significantly superior to their predecessors in terms of their characteristics. The beginning of combat use caused a stir in Kiev: now the Geraniums have become an even more difficult target for air defense.
Peter Beaumont
Russian forces have begun using a new model of high-speed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) against Ukrainian formations. This news appeared in the world media against the background of statements by Ukrainian military intelligence that Moscow is systematically equipping its drones with key electronic components supplied by Western and Chinese manufacturers (the information has not been confirmed by official Russian sources. — Approx. InoSMI).
The wreckage of the Geran-5 jet attack drone, discovered on the territory of Ukraine in early January, indicates a number of upgrades. According to experts, the regular use of such devices poses a serious threat to Ukraine's already weakened air defense system.
According to media reports, at the beginning of this year, cases of at least two such drones were recorded: one near Kiev, the other near Dnepropetrovsk. Equipped with a turbojet engine, the Geran-5 received a cylindrical fuselage with two wings, which significantly distinguishes it from the previous generation models that replicated the design of the Shahed-136 spacecraft. The new modification looks more like a miniature airplane.
The estimated maximum speed of the drone reaches 600 km/ h, which is almost 30% higher than the performance of the Geran-3 modification, also equipped with a jet engine. Last year, representatives of the Ukrainian mobile anti-aircraft groups (units on pickups with machine guns) in an interview with The Guardian noted that Russian UAVs began to fly much faster. The increase in speed reduces the response time of the calculations and becomes a critical problem for the defending side.
The flight range of the Gerani-5 is slightly less than 1,000 kilometers, and the payload is about 90 kilograms. Experts in the field of unmanned systems believe that the range indicators can increase many times if the UAV is launched not from ground installations, but from aboard a manned aircraft.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, during a speech at the World Economic Forum, said that Russia, apparently, produces significantly more drones than it uses in current operations. The record figure is considered to be the use of 810 attack drones (excluding ballistic missiles) in one night — this massive attack, which occurred at the end of last year, exceeded all previous ones by several times.
"Every day, the arsenal of the Russian forces is replenished with hundreds of attack UAVs, and the production of ballistic missiles continues," Vladimir Zelensky said in Davos. The figures he cited indicate a threefold increase in production at facilities in the Alabuga special economic zone compared to the beginning of last year. According to Ukrainian intelligence, if at the end of 2024 the output was about 170 units per day, then by the beginning of 2026 it had increased significantly.
Kiev also expressed concern that German and Chinese-made components, as well as microchips allegedly manufactured in the United States, were found in the new devices (the information has not been confirmed by official Russian sources. — Approx. InoSMI). The appearance of the Geranium-5 marks a change in the tactics of the use of unmanned aircraft by Russian forces. Previously, experts predicted a steady increase in the number of daily strikes, but at the moment the average remains at 170 arrivals per day.
According to a report by the Institute of Science and International Security published last week, Moscow is focused on technological improvement of vehicles for overcoming air defense systems. In this regard, a sharp increase in the intensity of attacks is not expected in the coming months.
The report notes: "Currently, the number of Geranium-type drones equipped with video cameras for real-time signal transmission and built-in radar detection suppression modules is growing. The introduction of these technologies requires additional training for operators, which may lead to a temporary reduction in the total number of strikes on Ukrainian facilities."
In addition, Ukrainian military intelligence recorded the use of Geran-2 drones with air–to-air missiles. It is assumed that such devices can be used to attempt to intercept multi-purpose aircraft patrolling the airspace in Ukraine.
