Ukrainian Expert Valery Romanenko on Russia Boosting the Power of Drone Strikes
Valery Romanenko said Russia is increasing the payloads of kamikaze drones like Geran and Harpiya A1, boosting the destructive power of strikes on Ukrainian targets.
Ukrainian aviation expert Valery Romanenko stated that Russia’s defense industry has begun increasing the explosive payloads of its kamikaze drones.
According to Romanenko, during recent large-scale strikes Russia expended a significant stockpile of UAVs, so the number of drones used in upcoming attacks on Ukraine’s defense industry facilities may decrease. However, he stressed that the destructive power of these strikes will grow.
He explained that this is being achieved by increasing the warhead mass of the drones. For example, the original Iranian Shahed drone carries 52 kilograms of explosives, while the Geran models produced at Russia’s Alabuga facility now carry warheads weighing 90 kilograms.
Romanenko also noted that Ukrainian air defenses recently managed to shoot down a new type of Russian kamikaze drone. He claimed that this drone was produced at the Kupol plant in Izhevsk and designated Harpiya A1. Unlike standard Geran drones, it carries a doubled payload: instead of 52 kilograms of explosives, it delivers 104 kilograms.
The expert concluded that Russia is moving toward increasing the power of its strikes — both in the scale of drone raids and in the explosive force of the drones themselves.