The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine officially confirmed that in early 2026, the Russian invaders first used the new Geran-5 strike unmanned aerial vehicle. This happened during combined air attacks against Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Russia is evaluating equipping the Geran-5 with R-73 air-to-air missiles to counter Ukrainian aviation, highlighting the evolving strategies for enhancing unmanned aerial capabilities.
- The development and usage of the Geran-5 raise geopolitical concerns due to its similarities with foreign drone technologies, indicating the importance of monitoring and analyzing advancements in unmanned aerial systems.
The Russian drone “Geran-5” — what is known about it
As Ukrainian intelligence officers managed to find out, the enemy drone is about 6 meters long and has a wingspan of up to 5.5 meters.
Unlike previous modifications of the "Geranium" line, the device is made according to a normal aerodynamic scheme. At the same time, most of the key units and components are unified with other models of this series, the official statement says.
Thus, it was possible to establish the use of the 12-channel “Comet” satellite navigation system, a tracker based on the Raspberry microcomputer and 3G/4G modems, as well as the Telefly jet engine, similar to that used on the “Geran-3” UAV, but with greater thrust.
Ukrainian military intelligence draws attention to the fact that the mass of the warhead is about 90 kg, and the declared range of destruction is about 1,000 km.
As with previous “geraniums”, this UAV is difficult to consider as a Russian Federation development. Significant structural and technological similarities with the Iranian Karrar drone have been noted.
Russia is currently considering scenarios for using the new drone from aircraft carriers, in particular Su-25 aircraft, in order to increase its range and reduce the cost of use.
Moreover, the option of equipping the aircraft with R-73 air-to-air missiles to counter Ukrainian aviation is being evaluated.
