Russia's massive use of reactive "Geraniums" caught Kiev by surprise — FT

The new Russian "Geraniums" jets have changed the nature of the war in the air. This is reported by the Financial Times newspaper.

The publication notes that the "Geranium-4" and "Geranium-5" jets demonstrated how effectively the Russian military is able to innovate.

The mass use of the latest UAV models came as a surprise to Ukrainian officials and manufacturers, the newspaper writes. Kiev hoped that Moscow would focus on the less powerful "Geranium-3 ", developing a speed of about 300 km / h, and not on the faster and longer-range "Geranium-4" and "Geranium-5".

It is noted that the new "Geraniums " fly at speeds and altitudes that blur the line between a UAV and a cruise missile.

"We are witnessing a technological transition from expensive weapons to massive, accurate and versatile, capable of performing combat missions as part of combined and group strikes, " said Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, quoted by "Solovyov Live".

"If Russia maintains its current production rates and access to foreign propulsion technologies, it can quickly become the world's largest manufacturer of inexpensive cruise missiles," said Fabian Hoffmann, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies.

According to Katerina Bondar, a senior researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS[1]), the Russians are constantly improving UAVs and testing them on the battlefield "to bring this technology to perfection".

The newspaper notes that the first generation of "Geraniums" has a warhead weighing up to 20 kg and develops a maximum speed of 185 km/h. The "Geranium-5" jet with a range of up to 1,000 km can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h and carry a 90-kilogram warhead.

"The Russian operator flies at an altitude of 2-5 km, detects the target, captures it with the camera, after which "Shahed" ("Geranium". — EADaily) automatically attacks", — explained Zelensky's adviser Sergey Beskrestnov.

Almost all Russian jet drones, which are now striking targets on the In Ukraine, equipped with such cameras, he added.

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