Russia's new jet-powered drones overwhelm Ukrainian defences as civilian toll rises
Faster, higher-flying and harder to intercept, the Geran-4 and Geran-5 have shifted the war into a new phase, with Kyiv enduring near-constant air alerts.
A new wave of Russian jet-powered drones is terrorising Ukrainian cities, flying at speeds of up to 600km/h and altitudes of 6,000m, outpacing existing air defences. Ukraine's ability to shoot them down has improved from 57% to about 75% according to the Institute for the Study of War, but the shorter window to intercept the drones and sheer numbers, 3,500 jet drones launched in September alone, are straining defences and driving up civilian casualties.
The war in Ukraine has entered a new and more terrifying phase with the deployment of jet-powered drones by Russia. The Geran-4 and Geran-5, based on the older propeller-driven Shahed-136 design, now feature Chinese-made turbojet engines that propel them at nearly three times the speed of their predecessors. The Geran-5, which blurs the line between drone and cruise missile, can reach an estimated top speed of around 600km/h, has a range of up to 1,000km, and can fly at 6,000m, beyond the reach of typical Ukrainian defences and sensors.
Oleksandra Molloy, a senior lecturer in aviation at UNSW and a leading expert in drone warfare, said the new generations of drones represent a growing threat to Ukraine's air defences and to Ukrainian people. In Kyiv, resident Svitlana Iukhymovych described the constant fear of air alerts. "Air alerts are almost always on," she told the ABC from her apartment. "They come on and then they're off. They're off for 15 minutes and then they're back on again as another batch of drones is flying in." Ballistic missiles could be heard hitting targets in the distance with a sound like a crack of thunder. "We're all mad in here," she added, documenting another sleepless night.
Russia launched about 1,500 jet-powered drones across Ukraine in July, according to Ukrainian officials, a figure that rose to 3,500 by September. Ukraine's Minister of Economy, Oleksandr Kravchenko, said after a drone struck the National Academy of Sciences building in Kyiv: "What we had not fully anticipated was how quickly Russia would develop these jet-powered drones and use them to target everything." The president of the National Academy of Sciences labelled the attack an act of terrorism. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was planning to spend $US12 billion ($17.3 billion) on producing jet-powered weapons and other attack drones next year.
David Kirichenko, an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, noted that the window to intercept the drones has shrunk dramatically. "Mobile teams now, depending on when they're alerted, can have a matter of seconds to try and intercept these jet-powered drones," he said. "They're getting up to the speeds and acting more like a cruise missile rather than a traditional drone."
Valeriia Oshevska, a civilian volunteer with a mobile fire group in Kyiv, described the challenge. "Now drones are too far [away], so we can't work on them," she said. "They're three kilometres high or seven kilometres high." She spends nights trying to shoot down Shaheds with machine guns, but the new drones are often out of reach. "We are here thinking of plan B, what we're going to do if it'll be hard to live a normal life when it will be no electricity, no heating, no water."
Across Ukraine, UN monitors verified 2,222 civilians killed in 2026. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its own drone attacks deep into Russia, targeting oil refineries and energy sites. At least 496 Russian civilians were killed between January and September, according to the UN human rights office.
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Analysis
Why This Matters
The shift to jet-powered drones fundamentally changes the aerial threat over Ukraine, making it harder to protect cities and critical infrastructure.
Civilians in Kyiv now endure air alerts for up to 20 hours a day, disrupting daily life and increasing psychological trauma.
The success of Russia's drone development may influence future conflicts worldwide, as cheap, fast drones become more accessible.
Background
Russia's use of one-way attack drones in Ukraine has evolved rapidly. The early war saw widespread use of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, a slow propeller drone that Ukraine learned to shoot down with 90% effectiveness. To counter this, Russia developed jet-powered variants: the Geran-4, with a Chinese turbojet engine, and the larger Geran-5, which can reach speeds of 600km/h and altitudes of 6,000m. These drones are now used in mass raids alongside ballistic missiles, often saturating air defences. Ukraine's mobile fire groups, composed of civilians, play a key role in layered defence but struggle with the higher-flying drones.
Key Perspectives
Oleksandra Molloy: The new drones represent a growing threat to Ukraine's air defences and people.
Svitlana Iukhymovych: Describes living under constant air alerts, with danger coming at any moment.
Valeriia Oshevska: As a volunteer with a mobile fire group, she says the new drones are too high for her unit to engage, forcing them to rely on other defence layers.
David Kirichenko: The window to intercept has dropped from minutes to seconds, making these drones behave like cruise missiles.
What to Watch
How Ukraine adapts its air defence strategy, including prototype interceptor technologies mentioned by President Zelenskyy.
Whether Russia can sustain its increased drone production, especially given planned spending of $12 billion on attack drones next year.
The impact on civilian infrastructure as winter approaches, with Kyiv already planning for prolonged blackouts.
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 5 supported.
Show each claim
Not in the sourcesSvitlana Iukhymovych said ballistic missiles sounded “like a crack of thunder”.Just In: “As drones roar overhead, ballistic missiles can be heard hitting targets "like a crack of thunder" in the distance”
Partly supportedRussia’s new jet-powered drones overwhelm Ukrainian defences.Just In: “They fly faster, higher and are harder to shoot down than previous models, and Ukraine's defences are struggling to keep up.”
SupportedThe civilian toll is rising.Just In: “Civilian deaths and injuries are on the rise.”
SupportedThe war has entered a new phase.Just In: “Faster, deadlier Russian drones shift warfare into horrifying new phase.”
Partly supportedUkraine’s shoot-down rate rose from 57% to about 75%, according to the Institute for the Study of War.Just In: “Last month, Mr Zelenskyy said only about 57 per cent of jet-powered drones were being shot down. That has risen to approximately 75 per cent, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).”
SupportedRussia launched 3,500 jet-powered drones in September.Just In: “Russia launched about 1,500 jet-powered drones across the country in July, according to Ukrainian officials. By September, that number had increased to 3,500”
Sources say otherwiseFaster response times and the drones’ numbers are straining Ukraine’s defences.Just In: “Russia's jet-powered drones are outpacing Ukraine's air defences, with the window to respond significantly reduced.”
Not in the sourcesThe faster response times and numbers of drones are driving up civilian casualties.Just In: “Civilian deaths and injuries are on the rise.”
Not in the sourcesThe Geran-4 and Geran-5 are based on the older propeller-driven Shahed-136 design.Just In: “Until now, the propeller-driven Geran-2 has been Russia's main weapon of choice for mass long-range drone attacks. Based on the Iranian-designed Shahed-136”
Partly supportedBoth the Geran-4 and Geran-5 feature Chinese-made turbojet engines.Just In: “The original Geran-4 has a Chinese-made turbojet engine ... The new Geran-5 blurs the lines between drone and cruise missile. It is also jet-powered”
SupportedUN monitors verified 2,222 civilians killed in Ukraine in 2026.Just In: “Across Ukraine, UN monitors verified 2,222 civilians killed in 2026.”
SupportedAt least 496 Russian civilians were killed between January and September, according to the UN human rights office.Just In: “At least 496 Russian civilians were killed between January and September, according to figures recorded by the UN human rights office (OHCHR).”
Correction
An earlier version of this story attributed a description of ballistic missile impacts to Svitlana Iukhymovych. It was the ABC's narration, not her quoted words. The story also referred to faster response times. The window available to intercept the drones has shortened.