by Artemy Sharapov
[REGNUM] With the onset of consistently warm weather, the front in the Northern Military District (NVO) has begun to move in several directions at once. In recent weeks, several new weapons developments have been tested along the line of contact.
The Russian Armed Forces have a new version of the Geranium-5 drone with a jet engine, which allows it to reach high speeds, reports Rossiya-24.
Such drones, resembling small cruise missiles, are a particularly challenging target for air defense systems, Denis Fedutin, an expert on unmanned aircraft and editor-in-chief of the UAV.ru internet portal, explained to Regnum News Agency.
"The jet engine gives the drone a significantly increased speed range—around 600–700 km/h versus 150–170 km/h for the basic piston-engine version, " the source explained. " High flight speed reduces the reaction time of enemy air defense systems, which, accordingly, increases the likelihood of overcoming these defenses."
The Geranium rocket launchers are an effective weapon at medium range and are suitable for precision strikes in the operational rear.
At the same time, reports are emerging about the massive use of drones of this model at long distances – against targets in Kyiv, when the Ukrainian air defense system is powerless.
Experts believe that the development of turbojet UAVs will focus on reducing their thermal signature and increasing flight endurance.
RANGE EXTENSION
Another technology that Russian operators have been developing in recent weeks is drone-carrier drones. Typically, these drones are carried by Geran-2-class UAVs, which, instead of a warhead, carry several FPV drones.
This was announced by Dmitry Kuzyakin, chief designer of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions. He explained, in particular, that Geranium can act as a control signal delivery and relay system for small drones, transforming it into a "drone mother."
Until 2025, reports of "drone carriers" were considered unverified. But in mid-September last year, even the enemy admitted: a Russian Lancet loitering munition had reached Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv.
It is known that the latest modifications of the Lancet can strike at a distance of up to 100 km - this explanation was given at the end of February by Artem Krasnoperov, a reconnaissance operator of the Center group of forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
But the combination of an unmanned aerial vehicle plus a loitering munition launched from that vehicle allows for high-precision strikes at significant distances, while bypassing air defense activity.
This is what the Ukrainian Armed Forces were forced to admit in September 2025, when the Lancet reached the center of the Ukrainian capital.
Another alarming sign for the Ukrainian army is the expanding range of our fiber-optic-controlled drones. The connection between the drone and the operator is established via a cable, and electronic warfare (EW) systems cannot jam the control signal. According to recent reports, fiber-optic FPV drones have begun to reach the central districts of Kharkiv and Sumy, covering distances of tens of kilometers from the fiber-optic base.
USE OF AI
Russia is developing developments that allow combat drones to independently select targets. This includes the Svod UAV, which is equipped with a system for intelligent guidance, tracking, and autonomous target engagement, combining machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Andrey Ivanov, a specialist at the Kulibin Club and chief designer of the Ovod drone family (which also includes the Svod), spoke about the capabilities of the new weapon.
New technological solutions allow the device to independently detect and identify a target and transmit the data to the operator. The operator can then confirm the attack or cancel the order. The first batch of drones of this model has already been delivered to the troops, Ivanov reported.
Experts believe that further development of AI and machine learning technologies could eventually allow drones to operate completely autonomously, noted UAV specialist Denis Fedutinov.
"Potentially, this approach could allow the human operator to be left out of the combat mission process," the expert noted. "This, in turn, could provide several advantages."
The first advantage is that the drone's operational range will increase, as the device will be independent of the communication channel's range. Secondly, robotics can ensure the drone's operational capability in conditions of electronic countermeasures.
Thirdly, this means a reduction in fatigue and the "blurred vision" effect that is typical for a human operator "in the control loop." And finally, fourthly, this leads to increased safety for personnel operating drones.
But there are several factors that are currently holding back the spread of such solutions, notes Fedutinov: "AI still has a high error rate. Furthermore, there's a formal lack of accountability for decisions that could ultimately prove erroneous. Third, there's society's moral unwillingness to delegate such sensitive tasks to a machine."
TURBOJET "PRODUCTS"
In early March, information surfaced online about the use of Russia's newest air-to-surface missile, known as "Izdeliye 30." The missile is equipped with folding wings with a span of approximately three meters and a warhead weighing approximately 800 kg. This is almost twice the weight of the Kh-101 strategic air-to-surface missiles also used by the Russian Aerospace Forces, Vesti explained.
The Izdeliye 30 has an average range of 1,500 kilometers. The missile is equipped with a compact turbojet engine, which provides a cruising speed of approximately 720 km/h.
The missile's warhead is reported to weigh 800 kg, compared to 400 kg for the X-101, with the same wingspan as the X-101 - 3 meters.
On March 2, enemy sources presented the remains of a "previously unknown" Russian missile, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported. Experts (who assessed footage of the missile's flight that appeared on social media) believe that the "Izdeliye 30" missiles were used in the strike on targets in Ukraine on March 16.
Geolocation specialists determined that the video was filmed in the skies over the Chernihiv region, with the missile heading toward Kyiv.
The Defense Ministry's November 16 report does not mention strategic aviation aircraft, suggesting that the new missiles are being adapted to arm tactical bombers, military expert Alexander Mikhailovsky noted in a comment to Regnum News Agency.
"It's quite possible that Su-34 tactical bombers, or the latest fifth-generation Su-57 fighters, could be used as carriers for these new missiles, " the source noted. " In that case, the intensity of cruise missile strikes against Kyiv regime targets will only increase in the future. After all, with the introduction of the Izdeliye 30, there will be no need to launch heavy strategic bombers."
The source added that serial production of the Izdeliye 30 could provide the Russian army with a cheaper and more widely available cruise missile. It's also possible that the new munition could be used with ground-based launchers.
Overall, experts note, advanced developments in the Russian military-industrial complex make it possible to attack a wide range of targets, regardless of their distance from the front. Moreover, new and modified drones and missiles are becoming increasingly difficult targets for the enemy.