The Russian Federation is actively working on improving its Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), increasing their flight range to 2,500 km. According to reports from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Russia has launched the production of an analogue of the Iranian Shahed-238 - Geran-3, equipped with a small turbojet engine, which allows the UAV to reach speeds of up to 600 km/h.
New modifications of these drones have already begun to be used for combat missions, in particular with the expansion of warheads, including OFBCH-2.5 and engineering munitions. The design of the Shahed-136 has also been improved, including changes in the placement of important components, such as batteries and a flight controller.
Intelligence officials are particularly concerned about Russia's use of Chinese-made components to replace American and European parts, including integrated circuits. As a result, Chinese products are increasingly replacing critical UAV components.
These changes indicate that Russia is not only increasing the technical potential of its drones, but is also actively seeking alternatives to Western components, which provides it with greater independence from sanctions and international restrictions.
