Russia’s new drone strategy: How jet-powered Gerans are changing the economics of warfare

Maj Gen Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence, said Kyiv needs new interceptor missiles capable of matching the speed of the jet-powered drones. Cruise missiles are much faster and harder to intercept, but their high cost limits the numbers that can be used in sustained attacks. Jet-powered drones seek to combine the speed advantage of missiles with the mass-production economics of drones.The newer Geran variants can travel at more than 480 km/h, according to the BBC. The aim is to saturate Ukraine's air defences while forcing Kyiv to decide where to spend its most valuable interceptor.Russia's emerging strategy is therefore not simply about building a faster drone. It is about creating a weapon that sits in the economic space between the drone and the cruise missile

Source: Times of India September 12, 2026 16:16 UTC