Russian jet Shaheds fly too high for short-range air defenses
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Geran-5 debris, January 2026 (Photo: gur.gov.ua)
The jet-powered versions of Russian Shahed
drones (Geran-4 and Geran-5) can fly at altitudes of 7 to 10 kilometers,
putting them beyond the reach of tactical air defenses, MP and parliamentary
Defense Committee member Serhiy Rakhmanin told NV on Sept. 29.
“Geran-4 and Geran-5 enter our air defense zone at altitudes of 7 to 10 kilometers, and some fly even higher,” Rakhmanin said.
“There have been instances of them being detected above 10 kilometers.”
He said Ukraine’s short-range, or first-line, air defenses had previously shot down large numbers of Shahed-131, Shahed-136, and Geran-2 drones. However, those systems generally operate at altitudes of up to 5 kilometers.
“In other words, all our systems — Strela, Osa, Gepard, Shilka, Tunguska and others — that shot down large numbers of Shaheds before they entered the airspace of major cities have proven ineffective,” Rakhmanin concluded.
On Sept. 28, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said
Ukraine’s air defenses shoot down about 70% of drones during large-scale
Russian attacks. The interception rate for jet-powered drones is 57%, he said.
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