Ukrainian military officials say jet-powered drones now account for up to two-thirds of some Russian drone attacks, marking a significant increase in the use of faster, harder-to-intercept threats. Col. Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, stated in remarks shared Thursday that the proportion of jet-powered drones in certain strikes has reached the highest publicly disclosed level yet.
Earlier estimates in recent months had placed the share at up to 20%, with jet-powered drones rarely reported last year. In early June, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, then Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, warned that Russia planned to increase the proportion of jet-powered drones to 50%, calling it a new challenge requiring a timely response.
Russian drone variants and capabilities
Russia has deployed multiple drone models in Ukraine, including propeller-driven and jet-powered variants. The Geran-2, modeled after the Iranian Shahed-136, is a propeller-driven drone carrying explosives and flying at approximately 115 mph. Faster jet-powered variants include the Geran-3 (over 200 mph), Geran-4 (310 mph), and the newest Geran-5 (up to 375 mph), which lacks the delta-wing shape of earlier models and more closely resembles a cruise missile.
Ukrainian officials note that jet-powered drones are significantly harder to intercept than their propeller-driven predecessors due to their higher speeds. Yehor Cherniev, deputy chairman of Ukraine’s parliamentary national security committee, told reporters that Ukraine has intercepted more than 90% of Russian cruise missiles and drones launched in recent attacks, though specific figures for jet-powered drones were not provided.
The shift toward jet-powered drones reflects a broader trend in Russia’s drone warfare strategy, with these models capable of carrying explosive payloads over hundreds of miles before striking targets in Ukraine.