Russian drone setbacks: Western sanctions hit Geran-2 effectiveness
In recent months, growing problems with the effectiveness of Russian Geran-2 drones have been noticeable. According to information obtained by "The Washington Post," these issues are caused by Western sanctions that forced the Russians to move away from proven components in favour of Chinese substitutes.
The Russian economy and its defense industry have long endured Western sanctions, but in 2024, reports of further problems are emerging systematically. There are already noticeable rising issues with the production of new tanks, advanced fighters like the Su-57, and now, as it turns out, with Geran-2 drones.
As reported by the portal of the daily "The Washington Post," Ukrainian analysts and the British think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) have already documented a higher failure rate of Geran-2 drones.
In their consistent assessment, a probable cause in this case is one of the components that helps regulate the drone's movements in flight. At the end of 2023, the manufacturer of Geran-2 began using a Chinese substitute for a South Korean solution that Russia had previously used but was cut off from due to Western-imposed sanctions.
As a result, Geran-2 drone operators equipped with components acquired from China lose control during sharp turns; some drones crash, while others, due to unforeseen maneuvers, become easy targets for Ukrainian air defenses.
Geran-2 in Russian service
The Russians are attempting to compensate for these problems with an increased number of attacks, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned in November. Just in October, about 2,000 Geran-2 drones were launched towards Ukraine.
Geran-2 is not a drone that the Russians built from scratch. It is a locally produced copy of the Iranian Shahed-136 drone. It is a kamikaze drone measuring about 3.3 meters in length and 2.4 meters in wingspan. Each weighs around 200 kilograms, with approximately 40 kilograms allocated to the warhead. Iranian designs were characterised by light painting, but some time ago, the Russians began using black paint to make detection and interception of drones at night more difficult.
