Shahed-type drones have been Russia’s weapon of selection for the reason that starting of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
A whole lot of rounds have been fired and Moscow has used them to assault army targets, residential targets, power services, civilian infrastructure, and to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses in large-scale assaults.
It’s usually referred to as a “moped” in Ukraine due to its distinctive loud buzzing sound, just like that of a lawnmower.
Shahed-136 or Guerlain-2?
The Guerin-2 long-range unidirectional assault drone (also known as a kamikaze drone) is basically an indigenous Russian model of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136.
The Russian authorities established a do-it-yourself meeting line for the Guerin 2 drone in 2023, a 12 months after the beginning of full-scale struggle with Ukraine.
“Guerlain” or “Geranium” is produced at a manufacturing facility within the Russian Republic of Tatarstan. Since homegrown manufacturing was established, Russia has stepped up assaults on Ukraine, launching a whole bunch of drones in a single day. This was greater than was used within the early months of the struggle.
Options of Guerlain-2
Geran drones usually fly comparatively slowly at 180 km/h, however their vary can attain 2,000 km. It could carry a comparatively massive load of fifty kilograms of explosives.
Russian ballistic and cruise missiles fly a lot quicker and are extra lethal, however they value tens of millions of {dollars} and can be found in restricted portions.
Shahed/Guerin drones value between 25,000 and 40,000 euros, a fraction of the price of ballistic missiles.
Geran Drone Parts
A whole lot of components manufactured by European firms are nonetheless put in on Russian drones, though direct exports are prohibited on account of EU sanctions.
By dissecting the charred stays of the downed Guerin-2 drone, Ukrainian army intelligence revealed the construction of this mannequin and its built-in parts.
A joint media investigation carried out in February by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Venture (OCCRP) discovered that of the a whole bunch of parts, only some dozen had been made in Russia.
Many are produced by firms in america and China, however greater than 100 are produced by about 20 European firms. Objects embody microchips, receivers, transistors, diodes, antennas, and gasoline pumps.
The EU bans lots of these things from being exported on to Russia. Nonetheless, commerce information obtained for the investigation reveals that between January 2024 and March 2025, 672 sanctioned components manufactured by these European firms had been despatched to the nation.
There have been 178 delivery firms, most of them from China and Hong Kong.
grant 5
Since beginning home manufacturing, Russia has additional improved the Guerin drone, rising its altitude, making it extra immune to jamming, and equipping it with extra highly effective warheads.
All variants which have emerged since then are extra lethal than the earlier model.
Russia unveiled the Guerin 5 jet-powered assault drone in Could. With a complete size of roughly 6 meters and a most wingspan of 5.5 meters, it has specs equal to a small winged missile.
The Geran-5 is powered by a Chinese language-made Telefly jet engine.
The drone’s payload is claimed to include a 90-kilogram warhead, with a strike vary of roughly 1,000 kilometers and a cruising velocity of 450-600 kilometers per hour.
Ukraine’s Protection Intelligence Company famous that the Gueran-5 could be deployed from airborne platforms such because the Su-25 assault plane.
Along with the principle warhead, the drone can carry an R-73 air-to-air missile with an infrared homing head.
Geran-5 additionally reportedly depends on Western microelectronics. Microchips are manufactured in international locations equivalent to Germany and america.
Authorization intercept charge
In 2025, Moscow attacked Ukrainian cities on 357 out of 365 nights. In different phrases, there have been solely eight nights throughout the 12 months when Ukraine was not attacked.
As Russia’s efforts to modernize its Shahed-class drones make these large-scale assaults extra widespread and extra harmful, Ukraine is beefing up its air protection programs, particularly counter-Guerin expertise.
In certainly one of Russia’s largest assaults on Could 23, the Russian authorities launched 600 drones, 36 ballistic missiles, Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles, and Oleshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles, most of which the Ukrainian army succeeded in intercepting.
The Shahed-type drone interception charge reached over 91%.
