August M
Ukraine has recorded its first confirmed drone-on-drone interception after a Sting interceptor drone shot down Russia’s new Geran-3, the jet-powered successor to the Shahed-238.
According to WP Tech, Serhiy Sternenko shared an image showing the interception and called it a “somewhat historic achievement,” noting that several Geran-3 drones were downed overnight by Ukraine’s Sting interceptor drones on November 30.
Defense Blog analysts also confirmed this as the first recorded instance of the new Russian model being neutralised by an unmanned Ukrainian system.
Russia’s upgraded attack drones
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russia launched 138 Geran-3 drones in the latest wave of attacks. The Geran-3 is faster and harder to detect than earlier Shahed variants, using a turbofan engine that Ukrainian intelligence had warned about earlier in 2025.
The drone’s claimed top speed is 550–600 km/h with an estimated range of up to 2,500 km.
Performance in real combat
Ukrainian military data suggests the Geran-3 performs differently in practice, with its speed typically closer to 300–350 km/h—significantly lower than the advertised figures.
Higher speeds appear achievable only near the end of its flight path or when Russian operators detect Ukrainian air defence systems.
As analysts from Militarnyi noted, these real-world limitations place the Geran-3 firmly within the engagement envelope of Ukraine’s interceptor drones, enabling operations like the one carried out this week.
Sources: WPtech
