Forbes: Russia switches to faster "Geranium" drones to break through Ukraine's interception system
Russia is beginning to use the jet-powered upgraded "Geranium" drone to increase the efficiency of attacks on Ukraine. These are improved models based on Iran's "Shahed", with a significant increase in speed, which will put greater pressure on Ukraine's air defense.
The "Geranium" has been the main force in Russian air raids since 2022, with multiple upgrades during this period: adding satellite navigation anti-jamming systems, limited remote control in the final stage, cameras and AI to correct the flight path, etc.
However, after Ukraine began using large-scale interception drones, its strike effectiveness declined significantly. Ukrainian interception drones can reach speeds of 300 km/h, using AI algorithms to lock on and destroy targets, with an interception rate exceeding 60%.
Sergei "Lightning" Besklyesnov, a consultant to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, said that Russia has various upgrade paths, but increasing speed is the most realistic:
"Russia can increase maneuverability to avoid, fly at extremely low altitudes, or increase speed. From the structure of the 'Geranium', speeding up is the most reasonable solution."
One of the solutions is the jet-powered "Geranium-3" drone, which will be put into service in 2025, equipped with a Chinese Telefly jet engine, with a speed exceeding 500 km/h.
The other larger "Geranium-5" was first recorded in early 2026: with a wingspan of about 5.5 meters, it can carry 90 kg of explosives, with a range of 1,000 kilometers and a speed of about 600 km/h.
However, jet engines make the drones more complex and expensive, which may limit their large-scale use.
As a response, Ukraine plans to develop a new generation of high-speed interception drones. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has asked manufacturers to focus on developing faster systems with stronger engines and more advanced target tracking algorithms.
At the same time, the Ukrainian army is also striking factories, warehouses, and logistics facilities of the "Geranium" in Russia's territory, trying to weaken the production capacity from the source.
Analysts point out that the war between Ukraine and Russia in drones has become a continuous technological competition: any new advantage gained by one side will eventually be offset by the countermeasures of the other side.
Ukrainian intelligence agencies stated that the "Geranium-5" is structurally and technologically similar to the Iranian Karrar drone, not entirely independently developed by Russia; while the "Geranium-2" widely used by the Russian military almost entirely relies on foreign components.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859105926840320/
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