Russia to Make Jet-Powered Shahed Drone With New Warhead

Russia is currently setting up production of a jet-powered Geran-3 drone, its own version of the Iranian Shahed-238, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) reported on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

The new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is equipped with a Tolou-10/13 turbofan engine, allowing it to have a range of 2,500 kilometers at speeds of 550–600 kph.

“Russia is establishing production of a jet-powered Shahed-238 equivalent, the Geran-3, which features a compact Tolou-10/13 turbofan engine, enabling a flight speed of up to 550–600 kph and a range of 2,500 kilometers,” the HUR statement said.

Intelligence has also recorded several significant modifications in the design of Shahed-136 (“Geran-2,” “Harpia”) drones since early 2025. These include the introduction of a new warhead weighing 90 kilograms, the relocation of the flight controller, power distribution unit, and battery from the nose to the tail section, and the addition of extra ballast.

Additionally, intelligence officials have highlighted an 8-channel CRP satellite navigation antenna with interference protection, featuring circularly arranged peripheral patch antennas. A sticker was found on it, labeled in Chinese and English as “Agricultural equipment parts,” along with a serial number indicating it was manufactured in 2024.

Experts suggest that the manufacturing style and color of the antenna casing resemble other components of the Shahed “Ы” series, produced in Iran and Russia. They believe the sticker was likely used to mislead about the actual origin and purpose of the CRP antenna.

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HUR also notes that Russia is increasingly replacing US and EU components with Chinese alternatives. For example, in the latest versions of the 8-channel CRP antenna used in Shahed-136 drones, the critical XILINX Kintex-7 programmable logic chip (originally made in the US) has been swapped for a microchip from Beijing Microelectronics Technology (China).

Furthermore, drones produced in the Yelabuga Special Economic Zone have received a new serial designation “Ъ” in addition to the previous “Ы” series. UAVs assembled at the Kupil Electromechanical Plant in Izhevsk (Russia) now feature a “КЦ” series, alongside previous “K” and “KB” versions.

It has also been reported that in addition to 8-channel “Kometa M8” antennas, Russian strike drones are now being equipped with new 12-channel CRP “Kometa” antennas.

To capture and transmit footage of their targets, Russian drone operators are using disposable Telegram bots, Raspberry Pi mini-computers, webcams, and 3G/LTE modems.