Russia arms jet-powered «Shahed» drones with missiles: Main danger for Ukrainians

The enemy equipped a jet-powered version of the «Shahed» drone — known as the «Geranium-4» — with an R-60 air-to-air missile, Defense Express reported.

Ukraine’s defense forces successfully shot down the upgraded drone. In the photographs of the wreckage, the air intake of the jet engine is clearly visible, confirming that this was a high-speed UAV model rather than a classic propeller-driven version.

The weapons mounting scheme remains technically unchanged from earlier attempts, with the missile fitted to a standard aircraft pylon mounted beneath the center of the drone’s body.

The operating principle is standard: the operator controls the drone via a video link, detects a target, locks onto, it using the missile’s infrared seeker, and fires.

Main threat

Experts say the use of the R-60 missile on the «Geranium-4» poses greater risks to Ukrainian pilots than earlier trials involving propeller-driven drones.

A propeller-driven «Shahed» has a top speed of about 180 km/h, while the jet-powered «Geranium-4» can reach speeds of 350–500 km/h.

This allows the jet-powered drone to close in on Ukrainian helicopters more quickly and manoeuvre more aggressively to gain a favourable firing position.

The R-60 missile has a launch range of 7–8 km, though operators face limitations due to the missile’s narrow seeker field of view of 24–34 degrees.

Analysts warn Russia may attempt to equip jet-powered drones with man-portable air defense systems, following earlier efforts involving the «Geranium-2» in early January.

They also say a next step could be the development of a «Geranium-5», an analogue of Iran’s jet-powered «Karrar» drone, which has a documented record of being armed with air-to-air missiles in Iran.

Experts add that Russia’s ability to carry out such attacks relies on the use of mesh modems to establish control links, making these systems a priority target for Ukraine’s electronic warfare efforts.