Kyiv was once again forced to endure massive missile and drone attacks on Thursday, August 27, with Russian jet-powered drones repeatedly appearing over the Ukrainian capital long after the initial overnight barrage had come to an end.
The attack began as it usually does, with ballistic and cruise missiles launched at targets and drones sent in to overwhelm air defense systems.
Patriot Missile. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The PAC-3 MSE is a highly sought-after air defense munition due to its advanced capabilities and versatility. As a next-generation interceptor, it offers improved range, speed, and maneuverability, making it an effective counter to a wide range of threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft. (Official U.S. Army photo)
The strikes began in the early hours of Thursday morning, but jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) continued the barrage long after sunrise and throughout the day.
It’s a tactic that Russia has been working towards for years, building its own jet-powered drones based on propeller-driven Shahed designs initially provided by Iran.
Those earlier designs have become a familiar sight over Ukraine in recent years, but the much faster jet-powered drones are now posing a new problem for Ukrainian forces.
It means that Kyiv is once again engaged in a technological race with Russia, right as it seemed to have the advantage.
As Ukraine builds its own mighty drone empire, Russia is iterating on older designs and becoming increasingly confident with every new barrage.
And it’s happening while Ukraine has a shortage of surface-to-air missiles capable of intercepting the ballistic missiles that the drones are designed to support.
Jet-Powered Drones Target Kyiv for Hours
The Kyiv Independent, which reported from the capital throughout the Thursday assault, described how explosions were heard throughout the city and air defense fire continued through the morning, afternoon, and even into the evening as Russian drones repeatedly approached the city.
At least six explosions were heard around 3 am, the outlet said.
Debris was discovered in the Podilskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts of Kyiv, and two schools were damaged.
A drone later fell onto a major road in the Holosiivskyi district, and at least four people were reported as injured in Kyiv by the afternoon.
The strikes appeared to target warehouses and distribution facilities belonging to Ukrainian retailers, suggesting the Russian strikes were intended as a direct response to the ongoing campaign against Russia’s Wildberries and Ozon retailers.
Ukrainian strikes have hit dozens of Wildberries facilities so far, impacting an industry that makes up 8.5% of the country’s economy and disrupting logistics that Kyiv says are supporting the Russian war effort.
“There have already been several alerts today,” a 33-year-old doctor sheltering in the Khreshchatyk Metro station told the Kyiv Independent.
“The all-clear sounds, and then another alert follows. While walking down the street, I heard air defense systems at work and explosions, most likely following hits and detonations,” he continued.
Reuters reported that the Russian barrage also targeted infrastructure throughout the rest of the country, including industrial facilities and ports. Ukraine reported intercepting seven ballistic missiles during the attack.
Russia Builds Faster Shaheds
The drones heard over Kyiv this time are the latest evolution of an Iranian weapon provided to Russia in substantial numbers during the early days of the war.
Russia’s Geran-2 is based on Iran’s Shahed-136, a delta-wing attack drone powered by a piston engine and rear-mounted propeller.
It is inexpensive, relatively simple to manufacture, and it can carry an explosive warhead over long distances.
But it does have a cruising speed of roughly 180 kilometers per hour, which makes it vulnerable to sufficiently fast interceptor drones.
Iran then developed the jet-powered Shahed-238 to tackle that vulnerability, while Russia produces its own Geran-3 model.
Instead of a propeller, the Geran-3 uses a turbojet engine that allows it to travel at roughly 350-550 kilometers per hour. It has a potential range of over 1,000 kilometers.
Those upgrades complicate defense for Ukraine.
A Ukrainian drone designed to chase a Geran-2 traveling at around 180 kilometers per hour may be unable to catch a jet-powered weapon traveling up to three times faster. And Russia is already advancing beyond the Geran-3 model, too.
The Geran-4 and Geran-5 Are A Nightmare
Russia is already deploying the next generation of these designs. The Geran-4 was first used operationally in May and features a new and strengthened airframe designed to withstand higher speeds and more aggressive maneuvering.
Ukrainian intelligence reports maximum speeds of roughly 500 kilometers per hour, and some recovered examples of the drone have shown it contains Chinese-made Telefly turbojet engines.
The Geran-5 is even more of a substantial weapon.
At roughly six meters long with a 5.5-meter wingspan, it has a reported maximum takeoff weight of around 850 kilograms and can carry a warhead weighing roughly 90 kilograms.
Ukraine’s assessments put its range at around 1,000 kilometers and cruising speed between 450 and 600 kilometers per hour.
To counter them, Ukraine is developing its own fast jet-powered interceptor drones – but Russia’s rapid progression through multiple Geran generations shows just how quickly the threat is evolving, and will likely continue to.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
