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Russia May Have Used New Jet-Powered Geran-3 Drone in Kyiv Attack
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
During one of the recent long-range combined attacks on Kyiv, a new type of jet-powered drone may have been used by Russian forces.
According to a Defence Express report on June 11, fragments found at the site of a downed UAV—visually similar to the Iranian-made Shahed drones—suggest the possible use of the so-called Geran-3, a new variant previously flagged by Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence.
Witness reports described an unusual whistling sound during the attack—different from what is typically heard with Shahed drones. This is consistent with findings at the crash site, where a small jet engine was recovered among the heavily fragmented debris.
While the remains are too damaged for a definitive identification, one of the components reportedly points to a shared design with the original Shahed-136, specifically the avionics panel used for mission programming and system activation.
This has led analysts to cautiously suggest the drone could be either the jet-powered Shahed-238—first unveiled in Iran in late 2023—or a locally assembled variant based on Iranian technology, possibly produced in Russia using imported or adapted components.
Defence Express also notes that a similar type of drone was reported during an attack in January 2024, but at the time, the Ukrainian Air Force was unable to confirm it was jet-powered, despite finding relevant engine parts and avionics.
Importantly, in February 2025, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence warned that Russia was working to establish domestic production of a suicide drone modeled on the Shahed-238 under the designation Geran-3.
According to previously reported specifications, this version may reach speeds of 550–600 km/h, powered by an Iranian Tolou-10 or Tolou-13 turbojet—an unlicensed copy of the Czech PBS TJ100 engine.
At this stage, further analysis is ongoing. While conclusions remain preliminary, the available evidence suggests Russia may be deploying a new jet-powered UAV closely resembling—or derived from—the Shahed-238 platform.
Previously, it was reported that Russia has reached an agreement with North Korea to establish production facilities for Shahed-style strike drones on North Korean territory.
