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Ukraine’s newest drones, reportedly capable of reaching speeds of up to 400 km/h, may have been developed with the design of Russia’s Geran-4 UAV in mind, according to military analyst and air defense historian Yury Knutov. He stressed, however, that detailed and verified information about the new Ukrainian drones is not yet available.
Speaking to Abzats, Knutov suggested that the aircraft are most likely powered by jet engines, allowing them to reach such high speeds. He believes their development may have drawn on the Geran-4.
According to the analyst, Ukrainian forces sometimes intercept individual Geran-4 drones, mainly with fighter aircraft. He said Ukrainian specialists study the design of captured Russian UAVs, including the engines they use.
Knutov suggested that Ukrainian engineers may have examined the Geran-4 powerplant, sought a similar engine from a third country and then modified existing drones to achieve higher flight speeds.
He said the appearance of such UAVs could create additional difficulties for Russian forces, although he described the challenge as manageable. Russian specialists, he added, are already developing modern counter-drone systems and interceptor UAVs capable of reaching speeds of up to 1,000 km/h.
Knutov also suggested that Ukrainian forces could initially use the high-speed drones mainly near the line of contact or to strike targets located relatively close to the front.
Earlier, Akhra Avidzba, commander of the Pyatnashka international brigade and a Hero of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said Ukrainian forces had begun using drones capable of speeds of up to 400 km/h. He added that Russian servicemen were already being trained to counter such aircraft.