Ukraine's HUR reveals size of Russia's Geran attack drone stockpile

Ukrainian military intelligence agency HUR has revealed the substantial size of Russia's Geran attack drone stockpile, which stands at around 6,200 drones as of August. The Geran, a long-range drone based on Iran's Shahed design, has become a significant part of Russia's arsenal following its invasion of Ukraine. Russia initially received these drones from Iran and has since established its own production facilities.

Historically, Russia would build up large drone stockpiles before major attacks, but the number of long-range drones launched against Ukraine has significantly decreased in recent months. While Russia's largest drone attacks can involve between 600 and 1,000 drones, they typically launch around 150-200 drones per attack, with occasional launches reaching 300 drones.

One of Russia's largest drone attacks against Ukraine in 2026 occurred in May, with Russian forces launching 1,560 drones over a 24-hour period, of which 94% were intercepted by Ukrainian forces. Notably, Russian forces have increased their use of long-range drones, particularly in the spring. In January, Russia launched around 4,450 drones, which reached a record high of 8,150 in May.

However, this trend has reversed, with nearly 5,000 drones launched in July. Furthermore, Russia has upgraded its long-range drones, with the Geran-5 modification introduced in 2026 featuring a 90-kilogram warhead, a range of 950 kilometers, and a speed of up to 600 km/h. In contrast, the Geran-1, equivalent to the Shahed-131, carries a 20-kilogram warhead, reaches speeds of up to 185 km/h, and has a range of 900 kilometers.