Key facts
- Ukraine's 413 Raid drone regiment uses FP-2 attack drones with a 6-meter wingspan and over 100kg of explosives.
- Ukrainian FP-1 drones have attacked Russian warehouses and refineries up to 1,800 miles inside Russia.
- Russia's new Geran-4 drone flies at 300-550 km/h, and the Geran-5 flies at closer to 600 km/h.
- Interception rates for older Shahed drones have fallen from over 90% to 60% against Russia's newer models.
- Russia gained approximately 90 square kilometers of Ukraine in August, compared to 505 sq km a year earlier.
Ukraine and Russia are increasingly engaging in long-range drone warfare, with both sides developing and deploying advanced unmanned aerial vehicles to strike targets deep behind enemy lines. Ukraine's 413 Raid drone regiment, a specialist unit created two years ago, has been using Ukrainian-designed FP-2 attack drones since last autumn. These drones, capable of carrying over 100kg of explosives and with a 6-meter wingspan, are used for missions over 200 miles away into occupied territories like Luhansk, aiming to disrupt Russian logistics and hit military, industrial, and economic sites. According to Skipper, one of the regiment's commanders, their operational tempo has increased tenfold.
Ukrainian forces are also employing other specialized units, such as Unit 17 of the Special Operations Centre, which uses Sych drones for shorter-range missions. These units are increasingly reliant on technology, with members like Znakhar, a former software coder, and Ananas, a former 3D artist, leveraging their skills for drone piloting and mission planning. The success of these mid-strike bombing campaigns has reportedly contributed to slowing Russia's advance, with Russia gaining only about 90 square kilometers in August.
On the Russian side, there has been a significant transformation of its drone arsenal. After initially relying on Iranian-supplied Shahed drones, Moscow has developed its own versions and, more recently, has upgraded them with jet engines. These new models, such as the Geran-4 and Geran-5, are faster and more aerodynamic than their predecessors, making them harder for Ukrainian interceptors to counter. Interception rates for older Shahed drones have reportedly fallen from over 90% to 60% against these newer Russian models. Russia is also reportedly planning to produce tens of thousands of these jet-powered drones and associated missiles in the coming years, potentially targeting Ukraine's energy and infrastructure systems. This escalation in drone capabilities on both sides highlights a rapidly evolving conflict that extends far beyond the traditional frontlines.