Russia’s 600 kmph Drone Strikes in Waves: The New Tactics Reshaping the Ukraine War

Russia’s latest wave of jet-powered attack drones is putting new pressure on Ukraine’s air-defence network, combining speed, range and large-scale deployment to create a threat that is proving harder to counter than earlier drone models.

The Geran-5 can reportedly travel at speeds of up to 600 kmph and fly at altitudes of around 6,000 metres. Its characteristics place it somewhere between the traditional one-way attack drone and a low-cost cruise missile, allowing Russia to conduct long-range strikes without relying entirely on expensive missile systems.

Maksym Zhorin, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps, recently acknowledged the difficulty posed by the new drones, saying Ukrainian forces “don’t know what to do about them.”

How Russia Changed Its Drone Tactics

Russia began using Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones extensively in 2022. Ukraine responded by deploying mobile fire teams equipped with machine guns, vehicles and short-range interceptor systems.

Those relatively inexpensive defences initially proved effective against slower, propeller-powered drones. Russia then adapted its tactics, developing the Geran family with faster propulsion systems and increasingly sophisticated capabilities.

Kateryna Bondar, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, said the Russian Geran line is based on the Iranian Shahed-136 and is being manufactured on a large scale in Russia.

The newer Geran-3, Geran-4 and Geran-5 variants use compact turbojet engines instead of the piston engines and propellers found on earlier models. Depending on the variant, speeds can range from around 300 kmph to approximately 600 kmph, while operational ranges can extend to more than 950 km.

Why the Geran-5 Is Difficult to Intercept

The combination of speed and altitude has reduced the effectiveness of some of Ukraine’s earlier counter-drone measures.

Machine guns and other short-range weapons are less useful against drones operating at higher altitudes, while slower interceptor drones have difficulty catching a target travelling at several hundred kilometres per hour.

Bondar said some newer Geran variants are also equipped with electronic warfare capabilities that can interfere with interceptor systems during the final stage of an engagement.

The drones can reportedly change their course and altitude during flight as well. Yuriy Cherevashenko, a deputy commander of Ukraine’s air force, told Reuters that their ability to receive operator commands allows them to alter their flight path.

This combination gives Ukrainian defenders less time to detect, track and engage them.

Russia’s Numbers Are Part of the Strategy

Technology is only one part of the challenge. Russia is also increasing the number of jet-powered drones used in attacks.

Bondar said Russia deployed around 450 such drones in June and approximately 2,850 in August. In some strike packages, jet-powered drones reportedly made up about 70% of the total.

Large-scale launches allow Russia to vary flight paths, altitudes and attack directions while forcing Ukrainian forces to continuously operate their air-defence systems.

Even if most incoming drones are intercepted, a large attack can still result in dozens reaching their targets. At the same time, defenders must use missiles, interceptors, radar systems and personnel repeatedly.

Bondar described this as an attempt to exhaust the air-defence system itself, while repeated attacks on energy, industrial and logistical infrastructure can create additional pressure on Ukraine’s ability to sustain the war.

Ukraine’s Search for Faster Interceptors

Ukraine has been examining the threat posed by jet-powered Gerans for months and is working on new interceptor systems.

However, early testing has exposed technical difficulties. Reuters reported that some Ukrainian interceptor drones tested in July struggled at speeds exceeding 400 kmph, with several losing control and crashing.

Kyiv is now examining several possible responses, including faster interceptor drones, inexpensive guided missiles, electronic warfare and techniques designed to interfere with the navigation of incoming weapons.

One approach under consideration is to have interceptors attack from the front rather than attempt to pursue faster drones from behind.

James Patton Rogers, a drone expert and lecturer at King’s College London’s Department of War Studies, said the key challenge for Ukraine is the reduced reaction time created by the jet-powered systems.

A New Cost Battle in the Air

The Geran-5’s significance extends beyond its speed. Its relatively low production cost compared with many conventional missiles creates a difficult economic equation for defenders. Rogers said replacing the Shahed’s piston engine with a jet engine has produced a weapon that is faster and more difficult to intercept while remaining cheaper than many cruise missiles.

This allows Russia to use drones for sustained attacks while preserving more expensive missiles for targets requiring greater precision or destructive power.

Bondar said Ukraine will need a layered defence architecture, including high-speed interceptors, improved sensors and automated targeting. She also pointed to attacks against production facilities, component suppliers and launch sites as another way of reducing the threat.

What Geran-5 Means for Future Warfare

The development of the Geran-5 illustrates how drone warfare is moving beyond relatively slow reconnaissance and attack platforms. Large numbers of inexpensive, long-range weapons can now be combined with higher speed, electronic warfare and changing flight paths to put significant pressure on sophisticated air-defence networks.

The shift does not make cruise or ballistic missiles obsolete. Instead, it could create a division of roles in which mass-produced drones are used to overwhelm and exhaust defences, while expensive missiles are reserved for particularly important or heavily protected targets.

The broader lesson for militaries is that air defence is increasingly becoming a question not just of technological capability, but also of production capacity, cost and the ability to sustain repeated engagements.