Russia periodically employs an unusual tactic to penetrate Ukrainian air defenses during long-range strikes with Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet-powered drones. Instead of the conventional approach of flying close to the ground, the drones climb above five kilometers and in some cases have been detected at altitudes of around seven kilometers, Ukrainian media reported today.

According to Ukrainian experts, this approach is fundamentally different from the conventional method of penetrating air defenses. Cruise missiles and drones typically fly as low as possible, using terrain to their advantage and minimizing the time they spend within detection and engagement zones. Jet-powered Geran drones, whose characteristics make them significantly closer to cruise missiles than conventional drones, are clearly visible to radar while flying at high altitude. The purpose of this tactic, however, is not to remain undetected but to put the drones beyond the engagement envelope of a significant portion of Ukraine’s air defense systems.

Since 2022, Ukraine has significantly expanded its capabilities for countering low-flying targets. Drones flying at altitudes of around 100–200 meters can be engaged by mobile fire groups armed with machine guns. When targets climb to one or two kilometers, interceptor drones and anti-aircraft artillery can be used against them. At an altitude of around seven kilometers, however, a significant number of these systems become ineffective.

For example, German Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns can effectively engage targets at altitudes of up to approximately 3.5 kilometers, while the Skyranger 35 has a maximum effective engagement range of around four kilometers. Common man-portable air defense systems also cannot reach targets at an altitude of seven kilometers. The US-made Stinger can engage targets at altitudes of roughly 3.5 kilometers, Poland’s Piorun up to four kilometers, and France’s Mistral 3 up to six kilometers.

A number of full-fledged surface-to-air missile systems also face altitude limitations. The Strela-10 has an engagement ceiling of around 3.5 kilometers, while the Osa-AKM with standard 9M33 missiles can reach approximately five kilometers. IRIS-T SLS can engage targets at altitudes of up to six kilometers. Systems using APKWS missiles and their equivalents also lack the capability to engage targets at seven kilometers. The Frankenburg Mark 1 missile, developed to counter jet-powered drones, is designed to engage targets at significantly lower altitudes when launched from the ground — up to 1.5 kilometers.

Using interceptor drones at such altitudes also becomes considerably more difficult. An interceptor must first climb to around seven kilometers, while its propellers must remain effective in the thinner air at that altitude.

As a result, Ukrainian experts emphasize that countering jet-powered Geran drones at such altitudes requires significantly more capable weapons, including medium- and long-range air defense systems such as Buk, FrankensAM systems armed with RIM-7 missiles, and IRIS-T SLM. However, using scarce surface-to-air missiles against Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones is economically impractical, while limited interceptor stocks further complicate their use.

In this situation, Ukraine sees fighter aircraft, particularly F-16s capable of using APKWS rockets against aerial targets, as one of the most economically viable options. Using more expensive air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-9 also presents a problem: they cost more than a Geran-4 drone and are produced in far smaller quantities.