Ukraine downs just 60% of Russia's new jet-powered drones, Air Force warns
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Russian Shahed drone (illustrative photo) (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
Ukraine intercepts only about 60% of Russian jet-powered strike drones compared to 90–95% of conventional models, Air Force Communications Head Yurii Ihnat told Financial Times on Sept. 14.
Over recent weeks, Russia's newly deployed turbojet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5 strike drones have repeatedly penetrated Ukrainian urban air defenses, evading interceptors far more effectively than earlier propeller-driven Shaheds and presenting an acute air-defense challenge.
While the original propeller-driven Geran-1 carries a 20-kilogram warhead at a top speed of 185 km/h, the jet-powered Geran-5—first deployed in January 2026 — can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h, delivering a 90-kilogram warhead over an operational range of 1,000 kilometers. While the Geran-4 features a streamlined aerodynamic redesign of the original delta-wing airframe, the Geran-5 utilizes an entirely new configuration resembling a miniature cruise missile.
The Financial Times noted that modernizations extend well beyond propulsion and airframe geometry. Older Shahed variants relied on basic pre-programmed satellite navigation, whereas newer models feature forward-looking infrared thermal cameras, AI-assisted autonomous terminal guidance, Russian CRPA anti-jamming antennas, and Chinese commercial mesh-networking radio modems.
"A Russian operator cruises at an altitude of 2 to 5 kilometers, identifies the target, locks onto it via camera, and the Shahed executes an automated terminal dive," presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov stated, noting that nearly all Russian jet-powered drones now targeting Ukraine carry these optical suites.
Ihnat emphasized that countering these high-speed targets has forced the Air Force to rely heavily on fighter aircraft. Some Ukrainian pilots have been forced to engage the drones at close range using onboard 30mm autocannons — an exceptionally hazardous tactic due to blast fragmentation.
Domestic tech teams are developing countermeasures:
Wild Hornets: The drone manufacturer is finalizing tests on an indigenous high-speed interceptor designed specifically to engage Russian jet drones, with serial production slated to begin shortly.
National initiative: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that 67 Ukrainian defense enterprises are actively engineering counter-drone technologies to defeat Russia's new high-speed threats.
Russian stockpiles and strategic posture
Jan. 11: Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) revealed that Russian troops first deployed the Geran-5 in combined aerial barrages in January 2026. The UAV measures approximately six meters in length with a 5.5-meter wingspan, and Russian forces are exploring aerial-launch methods using Su-25 attack aircraft.
August stockpiles: HUR estimated that by August 2026, Russia stockpiled approximately 6,200 Geran-series loitering munitions of all variants for massed strikes on Ukraine.
Bases near NATO: Citing satellite imagery and leaked defense dossiers, The Telegraph reported that Russia constructed several covert launch installations capable of firing jet-powered Shahed drones for deep strikes toward NATO territory.
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