Russia is fielding a new class of relatively inexpensive, faster strike weapons that is complicating Ukraine’s air defenses and raising concerns for NATO.
The weapons are less expensive than high-end cruise missiles but more capable than basic attack drones. New Russian Geran drones and Banderol cruise missiles combine speed, range, payload and improved navigation, giving Moscow more options for striking Ukraine at scale.
The Geran-5 is one example. The U.S. Army classifies it as a one-way attack drone, but its design marks a major departure from earlier Gerans. The jet-powered aircraft can reach speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour and has a maximum range of about 1,000 kilometers.
Capability without the price tag
It can carry a 90-kilogram warhead, while improved navigation and communications make it harder to disrupt through electronic warfare, according to the Army.
Ukraine has spent years adapting to slower Iranian-designed Shahed drones. Russia is now adding weapons that are faster, harder to jam and still significantly cheaper than high-end cruise missiles.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese-made components are playing a significant role in Russia’s production of the new Geran and Banderol weapons despite international sanctions. China says it regulates exports of technologies that could be used in war.
Analysts say the weapons also show how quickly Russia has been able to modify existing designs, test them in combat and move them into mass production.
Geran-5 drones and Banderol missiles cost an estimated $100,000 each, compared with the more than $2 million for U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles and similar Russian systems.
That allows Russia to launch more capable weapons in larger numbers without the cost of high-end missiles.
Russian drone strikes train near Polish border
A Russian drone struck a train Ukraine’s Yahodyn railway station near the Polish border Sunday, shortly after another train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and European security advisers passed through, according to Ukraine’s state rail operator.
Another train carrying former CIA Director David Petraeus was still at the station when the drone struck, the operator said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
It is not clear what type of drone was used or whether the foreign visitors were an intended target. Russia’s Defense Ministry said separately that its forces were targeting railway infrastructure in western Ukraine used to transport military cargo from Europe, according to state news agency TASS.
The strike highlighted the importance of Ukraine’s rail network, a critical link to the West that carries foreign officials, civilians and cargo while civilian air travel remains shut down. Russia says the same rail lines are also used to transport military shipments from Europe.
Bildt posted video from the area, saying the train was hit “just minutes after us” near the Polish border. He said it had been evacuated before the drone arrived.
