Russia is building a network of bases for strike drones, from which the new Gerani jets will be able to reach not only Ukraine, but also deep into NATO territory. Some sites even have Warsaw within range.
Russia is building a network of bases for strike drones, from which the new Gerani jets will be able to reach not only Ukraine, but also deep into NATO territory. Some sites even have Warsaw within range.
This is stated in an investigation by The Telegraph.
New Russian drone ports potentially cover a significant part of NATO's "eastern flank". Several European capitals are within range of the long-range Geraniums - Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn and Warsaw. And if we take into account mobile launchers, the radius could become even wider. In particular, launching from the Kaliningrad region would theoretically allow Russian drones to reach Berlin.
In total, the researchers counted 59 new launch rails — structures that accelerate the drone during launch instead of a conventional runway.
They are needed because a heavy jet drone needs to accelerate well before it can continue flying normally on its own engine. About 20 of them are noticeably longer than the others. They may be intended for new long-range jet drones.
One of the drones that can be launched from such rails is the Geran-5. Previously, dev.ua wrote that Russia first used the Geran-5 against Ukraine in early 2026. The Geran-5 weighs about 850 kg, can fly at a speed of 450–600 km/h for a distance of up to 950 km and carry about 90 kg of warhead.
The GUR also reported that Russia is currently producing about 3,000 Geranium-4 and Geranium-5 per month. That is, Russia is simultaneously scaling up both the UAVs themselves and the infrastructure from which they can be launched en masse.
Sergey “Flash” Beskrestnov called the Geran-5 essentially Russia’s attempt to make a “budget cruise missile.” As Ukrainian forces have become increasingly good at shooting down conventional Shaheds, Russia is trying to make their next version faster and more difficult to intercept. In addition, Russia is exploring the possibility of launching the Geran-5 from Su-25 aircraft. Such a scenario would potentially increase the drone’s range and reduce its dependence on ground-based launch sites.
