Russian jet-powered drones have become a serious challenge for Ukrainian forces. Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine acknowledge that successful interceptions remain rare and often depend on favorable circumstances, the Financial Times reports.

Timur Samosudov, commander of a Ukrainian drone interception unit in Odessa, told the newspaper that his troops had managed to shoot down Russian jet-powered drones with their own interceptors on several occasions. He said, however, that those successes were largely a matter of luck.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was previously shown the Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet-powered strike drones during a visit to the Chebarkulsky training ground in the Chelyabinsk Region.

The Geran-4 is equipped with a jet propulsion system and can reach speeds of up to 350 km/h. It carries a 50-kilogram warhead and has a flight range of 750–800 kilometers.

The larger Geran-5 exceeds those figures in several key specifications. The drone has a 6.5-meter-long airframe and an engine producing 200 kgf of thrust. Its top speed reaches 450 km/h, while its warhead weighs 90 kilograms. The aircraft can travel up to 900 kilometers.

In August, Ukrainian Defense Minister adviser Sergey Beskrestnov said Kiev was falling behind Russia in the «drone race.» According to him, Ukraine had still failed to develop an interceptor capable of countering jet-powered unmanned aircraft.