Russia’s army may start launching jet-powered versions of its attack drones at Ukraine, Forbes reports

Russian forces may begin using jet-powered versions of the Geran attack drones against Ukraine, capable of speeds of up to 600 km/h.

The U.S. business magazine Forbes reported, citing Ukrainian military sources.

Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry and a UAV expert known by the callsign “Flash,” said the most likely direction of upgrades is increasing the drones’ speed, which could make Ukraine’s air defenses’ job harder.

“Russia could add evasive maneuvers, fly at very low altitudes, or increase speed. Given the Geran’s design, boosting speed looks like the most practical option,” he said.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the jet-powered Geran-3 can reach speeds of over 500 km/h, while the larger Geran-5 can reach up to 600 km/h. These drones may carry up to 90 kg of explosives and cover a distance of roughly 1,000 km.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russia has begun using a new tactic for launching Shahed drones against Ukraine.