Russia is actively working to scale up production of jet-powered Geran kamikaze drones, with modified versions of these UAVs appearing more frequently in operations by the Russian Armed Forces, according to representatives of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate.

Ukrainian intelligence claims that Russia has already established serial production of the Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet drones, while the Geran-3 is close to entering service. The agency estimates Russia’s current output at about 500 jet-powered drones per month and expects production to keep rising.

The Main Intelligence Directorate also believes the Russian command plans to bring the share of jet UAVs in the armed forces to 50 percent of the total drone fleet.

For now, Russian forces are still testing the new systems in combat conditions. It is too early to speak of mass deployment, but jet-powered Gerans are already being recorded in daily strikes on Ukraine, though still in limited numbers.

Ukrainian intelligence officials point to speed as the main advantage of the jet variants. That speed allows the drones to break through the first layers of Ukrainian air defense. Interceptor UAVs struggle to catch them, while hitting a fast-moving target with a machine gun or anti-aircraft cannon becomes an extremely difficult task.

Russian developers are also equipping jet-powered Gerans with a control module that allows the drone to alter its flight route in real time depending on the mission. Even if communication is lost, the UAV can continue carrying out its task through backup systems.

Many Ukrainian experts warn that unless effective countermeasures against jet-powered Geran variants are found soon, these drones could become a serious challenge for Ukraine’s air defense network.