Ukraine is struggling against Russia's fast, jet-powered Geran-4 drones.

The Guardian reports that Ukraine is struggling to intercept the newest Russian drone models known as Geran. These new jet-powered drones from Moscow can reach speeds up to 400 kilometers per hour, a figure that significantly outpaces the slower Ukrainian interceptors currently in use. Russia began mass production and deployment of this missile variant, called the Geran-4, back in the spring.

Nowadays, the Russian military produces more of these jet drones than they do the original piston-engine versions. In August alone, advisors to President Volodymyr Zelensky say that Moscow launched over 2,500 of these missiles into Ukraine. Sergei Beskrestnov, a close advisor to the president, claims that these machines are coming off assembly lines with almost no delay. He added that Kyiv has not yet managed to develop an effective countermeasure against them.

Pavlo Palii, deputy head of the presidential office, noted that adapting to this new wave of Russian jet drones is urgent. Existing interceptors have failed to demonstrate the hoped-for efficiency on the battlefield. Officials are currently searching for solutions to address this gap in defense capabilities. Previously, these Geran systems set a record for how far they could strike before crashing down.