Russia is progressively employing high-speed drones in its large-scale assaults, relying on the assumption that missile stocks available for Ukrainian air defenses to counter these threats are scarce.
As stated by Colonel Yurii Ihnat, a representative of Ukraine's Air Force, Moscow is currently utilizing jet-propelled drones "almost continuously," along with other suicide unmanned aerial vehicles.
Capable of reaching velocities as high as 500 km/h, these systems can surpass the speed of Ukraine's own interception drones.
"Those drones are now beyond the range of interceptors, which can travel at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour," Colonel Ihnat stated.
He further stated that mobile fire units and drone interception systems can no longer be trusted.
Military rockets must be employed, and this is exactly what the Air Force and other branches of the defense forces are carrying out.
What are jet-powered drones?
"Enemy forces continuously adapt their methods of employing UAVs, expanding their quantities and enhancing their capabilities. The attacker aims to increase the proportion of jet-propelled attack drones to 50%," stated Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi in early June.
Syrskyi stated that Moscow is actually increasing the difficulty for Ukraine's air defense systems to "react efficiently."
In recent times, the majority of Russian Shahed drones and other airborne assault devices have been disabled by Ukrainian defense systems.
After setting up local manufacturing of Shahed-style drones, referred to as Geran, Moscow turned its attention to enhancing their development.
In September 2025, Ukraine's military intelligence organization HUR released additional information regarding the Geran-3, an improved and quicker variant of the Geran-2.
HUR disclosed that, in contrast to the Geran-2, which uses a propeller, the Geran-3 featured a jet engine enabling the drone to reach speeds as high as 370 kilometers per hour over a distance of 1,000 kilometers. The device was loaded with explosives and exploded upon contact after descending towards its target.
Only a few months later, in January 2026, HUR stated that Russian troops employed a newly developed Geran-5 strike drone against Ukraine for the first time.
The Telefly jet engine generated more power compared to the Geran-3 model, as reported by HUR.
The latest drone measures about 6 meters in length and has a wing span of 5.5 meters. In contrast to other Geran models, which are derived from the Iranian Shahed drones, the Geran-5 features a standard aerodynamic design.
Additional functions mirror those found in previous versions of the series, such as the 12-channel satellite navigation system Cometa, along with a tracking device utilizing a Raspberry Pi single-board computer and 3G/4G modems, according to HUR.
The unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of carrying a 90kg explosive payload and boasts an estimated range of nearly 1000 kilometers, allowing it to target any location within Ukraine.
As per HUR, Russia planned to equip attack planes like the Su-25 with Geran-5 systems to extend their operational reach.
Ukraine has had to use its precious air defense missiles to destroy and disable these jet-driven dangers, even with restricted supplies. The country's success rate in intercepting them continues to be strong, regularly going beyond 90%.