Russian jet Shaheds fly too high for short-range air defenses
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.
Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, specifically the Geran-4 and Geran-5 models, have been reported to fly at altitudes ranging from 7 to 10 kilometers, placing them beyond the reach of Ukraine's short-range air defenses. According to MP and parliamentary Defense Committee member Serhiy Rakhmanin, these drones enter Ukraine's air defense zone at the aforementioned altitudes, with some instances of detection even surpassing 10 kilometers.
Rakhmanin stated that Ukraine's first-line air defenses, which previously successfully downed numerous Shahed-131, Shahed-136, and Geran-2 drones, are ineffective against these higher-altitude models. Prior to large-scale Russian attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine's air defenses intercept around 70% of drones, with an interception rate of 57% for jet-powered drones.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
