Ukraine turns its Bars strike drone into a Shahed hunter

Video published online shows Ukraine using an interceptor version of its Bars jet-powered drone to destroy a Russian Geran-5, the first footage of the Ukrainian missile-drone being used against Russia’s own jet-powered attack drones. The clip, shared by the Ukrainian military, shows the interceptor launched from a ground launcher before it strikes the Geran-5. The interceptor is based on the Bars strike drone, a small turbojet-powered weapon that Ukraine has used for long-range attacks on Russian targets, including oil refineries. Upgraded strike versions of Bars can reportedly fly at up to 700 km/h (435 mph) and travel up to 1,000 km (620 miles), carrying warheads of 22, 60 or 105 kg (49, 132 or 231 pounds). The Geran-5 is a Russian jet-powered strike drone that looks and flies more like a small cruise missile than the propeller-driven Shahed-type drones Russia launches in large numbers. It can fly at up to about 600 km/h (370 mph), and at higher altitudes than older models, which makes it hard to catch for the small quadcopter interceptors Ukraine relies on against slower Shaheds. Russia launched 3,177 jet-powered drones at Ukraine in September alone, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that month that Ukrainian forces were shooting down only 57% of them. Ukrainian manufacturers have rushed several faster interceptors into service in response. Wild Hornets’ Sting S, SkyFall’s P1-SUN JetKiller and a jet-powered interceptor supplied by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation have all been shown destroying Geran-5s since late September, and former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Oct. 12 that a new interceptor developed by his team had downed two Geran-5s heading toward Kyiv. Many of those interceptors were hit by a speed cap that SpaceX placed on Starshield satellite terminals used by Ukrainian forces overnight on Oct. 13-14, which cut connections on drones moving faster than about 160 km/h. A larger, faster jet interceptor such as Bars, launched from the ground against fast targets, could give Ukraine another option for reaching Geran-5s before they reach cities. In July 2026, Germany and Ukraine signed an agreement on joint production of Bars drones.