Molniya-2 and Geran Drones Expand Russia’s Strike Threat
Russian Molniya-2 strike drones and upgraded Geran UAVs are creating a mass, systemic threat to Ukrainian rear areas up to 50 km deep, analysts say.
The Russian strike drone Molniya-2 has emerged as one of the most tangible threats facing the Ukrainian Armed Forces and their immediate rear areas. This assessment was highlighted by Ukrainian military analyst Konstantin Mashovets.
According to Mashovets, Russia’s approach to producing these drones prioritizes sheer volume over technical complexity. He estimates that more than 900,000 unmanned systems with relatively simple designs but high destructive potential were manufactured over an eight-month period. Even if these figures are overstated, he argues, Ukrainian forces are still confronting what he described as a form of «combat locusts.» It is this mass deployment, rather than individual technical sophistication, that creates a broad and systematic danger to rear zones at depths of up to 50 kilometers.
The threat is compounded by parallel developments in other Russian unmanned platforms. As reported by Military Watch Magazine, Geran kamikaze drones have undergone significant modernization, substantially expanding their operational capabilities. Following these upgrades, the drones have gained the ability to effectively engage fast-moving targets near the line of contact and are increasingly being used as a form of aerial support for ground forces.