Faster Geran drones give Ukrainian crews less time to respond as Kyiv races to field new interceptors.
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Russia’s attack drones are getting faster, and Ukraine’s defenders are being forced to adapt. New Geran models use turbojet engines instead of the propellers carried by earlier drones, shortening the time between an air-raid warning and a possible strike.
The Wall Street Journal reports that jet power is helping Russia’s one-way attack drones evade Ukrainian defenses and reach targets more quickly. Ukraine’s military intelligence says the Geran-4 was developed in response to the success of Ukrainian interceptor drones. Its analysis of recovered components identifies Chinese-made turbojet engines in the aircraft and says the model can reach speeds of up to 500 kilometers per hour.
Speed changes the problem for the crews trying to protect Ukraine’s cities. An interceptor built to catch a slower, propeller-driven drone may have too little time to reach a jet-powered one. Ukraine is using fighter jets and helicopters against the threat while pressing manufacturers to deliver faster, less costly interceptors.
Ukraine’s answer is still being tested
On September 3, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for faster production of interceptors designed for jet-powered drones. On September 15, he said a Ukrainian system under development had successfully hit a Shahed drone, though technical work remained before it would be ready for broader use.
For Ukrainians living under repeated air alerts, this is more than a contest between machines. Every gain in speed gives families and air-defense crews less time. Whether Ukraine can produce effective interceptors at scale will help determine how much protection its people have against Russia’s next wave of attacks.
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