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Ukraine Shoots Down Russia’s New Geran-4 Jet Drone in First Documented Intercept
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukraine’s air defense units have intercepted Russia’s newest jet-powered strike drone, the Geran-4, marking the first confirmed use of this type in combat.
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According to reports on May 3, the drone was destroyed by soldiers of Ukraine’s 1020th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment using a Sting interceptor drone. Footage of the interception was published by the Ukrainian company “Wild Hornets,” which develops interceptor systems.
The operation was conducted using the Hornet Vision CTRL system, allowing operators to guide the interceptor remotely from a secure location.
Interceptor STING downs another jet-powered Shahed 🔥
— Wild Hornets (@wilendhornets) May 3, 2026
The “Rubin” crew of the 1020th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment has taken down their second jet-powered target in a week. And even with Hornet Vision Ctrl remote control.
The enlarged warhead can carry up to 50 kg of… pic.twitter.com/4megj8Bu2S
Additional details were reported by Ukrainian defense observers and officials, including communications and electronic warfare expert Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, who noted that the interception was carried out remotely, highlighting the system’s ability to engage targets from tens or even hundreds of kilometers away.
The Geran-4 is a jet-powered evolution of earlier Geran-series drones, designed for higher speed and improved performance. Open-source data indicates the drone has a wingspan of around three meters and a length of approximately 3.5 meters, with its takeoff weight increased to about 450 kilograms.
It is equipped with a turbojet engine producing roughly 160 kg of thrust—significantly more powerful than the engine used in the previous Geran-3 model.
This upgrade enables a cruising speed estimated between 350 and 500 kilometers per hour, compared to 280–330 kilometers per hour in earlier versions. Its operational range is reported to extend up to 850 kilometers, with a flight duration of around two and a half hours and a warhead weighing up to 50 kilograms.
Some assessments suggest that extended-range configurations could reach beyond these figures under certain launch conditions.
Russia tested the Geran-4 and Geran-5 variants between October and December 2025 at launch sites in Russia’s Oryol region and near the Donetsk airport, as part of preparations for serial production.
Analysts have also suggested that future variants could be air-launched from aircraft such as the Su-25, potentially extending their range and allowing more flexible strike profiles.
Earlier, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Russia modified its Shahed-136 (Geran-2) drones to carry R-60 air-to-air missiles, integrating a standard aviation launch rail into the fuselage and shifting the drone’s role from strike to aerial targeting.
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