Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) published a detailed analysis of Russia’s new turbojet attack drone, the Geran-3 “U” series, showing it relies heavily on foreign components. The drone, a localized version of the Iranian Shahed-238, incorporates parts from the US, China, Switzerland, Germany, Britain, and Japan.

Despite Western sanctions, Russia continues to acquire foreign technology for its weapons programs. Moscow remains able to develop and produce advanced weapons systems for its war against Ukraine.

In total, 45 foreign components were identified in the new Russian Geran-3 drone: 

• roughly half from American manufacturers;
• eight from China;
• seven from Switzerland;
• three from Germany;
• two from Britain, and 
• one from Japan. 

The Russian Geran-3 drone

HUR reports that the drone can operate at ranges up to 1000 km, and can reach speeds of 300-370 km/h, powered by a Chinese Telefly JT80 turbojet engine.

It can reach its top speed in areas covered by Ukrainian air defenses, electronic warfare systems, and drone interception zones, and during the terminal stage of its flight descending towards a target. 

To maintain satellite navigation in contested areas, the Geran-3 also features a jam-resistant navigation system with a 12-element adaptive antenna array known as Kometa-M12.

The drone’s internal layout closely mirrors that of the gasoline-powered Geran-2, including a standard inertial navigation system, air pressure measurement unit, and power distribution unit. The drone also uses cameras and video systems adapted from earlier Geran-2 models.

Russia’s Geran drone is a locally made version of the Iranian Shahed drone, supplied by Iran and used against Ukraine. Moscow is producing its own variants and gradually improving their design and capabilities.

Russia uses these drones to carry out long-range attacks on Ukrainian targets, including civilian areas and critical infrastructure.

HUR published the findings as part of its “Means of Destruction” series, which now catalogs over 5,000 foreign components in 177 weapons systems used by Russia and its allies. The Geran-3 is the eighth Russian weapon system to be detailed in the series.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on 15 September that the State Protection Service neutralized a drone flying above Warsaw’s government quarter. The incident ended with the detention of two Belarusian citizens, and police are now investigating.

Tusk wrote:

“A short while ago, the State Protection Service neutralized a drone operating over government buildings (Parkowa) and Belweder. Two Belarusian citizens were detained. The police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.”

Drone spotted over presidential residence

Associated Press reported that the aircraft was detected near Belweder Castle, the official residence of Poland’s president. Colonel Boguslaw Piorkowski of the State Protection Service confirmed that two of his personnel stationed at Belweder spotted the drone above the compound and acted quickly. The operators were detained shortly afterward.

Piorkowski told AP that the device was not shot down but landed once the suspected operators were apprehended. The exact type of drone and the means of neutralization have not been disclosed.

Officials warn against hasty conclusions

Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Poland’s minister of development funds and regional policy, told TVN 24 that “the impression is that this is not something that flew in” from abroad but rather launched within Poland. She urged against rushing to conclusions or connecting the incident to Russian drone incursions that took place last week.

Rising tensions after Russian drone incursions and Belarusian spy activity in Poland

Militarnyi noted that on 9 September, Polish authorities detained a Belarusian agent and decided to expel a Belarusian diplomat who supported hostile activities against Poland. That arrest was part of a wider operation with Romanian and Czech services targeting a Belarusian intelligence network active in Europe. The outlet noted that it is possible agents linked to that network were also involved in launching the Warsaw drone.

Romanian authorities issued an alert on Saturday for the northern area of Tulcea County after a Russian drone was detected in the country’s airspace, Romanian media outlet Digi24.ro reports. Citizens were warned of potential falling objects and urged to take protective measures.

The incident follows a pattern of Russian drones violating NATO airspace in recent days. On 10 September, a wave of Russian drones entered Poland, causing alarm among NATO members. 

The Romanian Ministry of National Defence said two F-16 fighter jets from Fetesti Air Base took off at 18:05 to monitor the airspace near the border with Ukraine, following Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian infrastructure along the nearby Danube river. 

The jets detected the drone near Chilia Veche, tracking it for roughly 50 minutes as it operated about 10 kilometers inside Romanian territory before disappearing from radar. 

The drone did not fly over populated areas and posed no imminent threat to civilians. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the incident, noting that Russian drones were active throughout the day in various regions of Ukraine. 

“The Russian military clearly knows the targets of their drones and how long they can stay in the air. Flight routes are always carefully calculated,” Zelenskyy said. 

“This cannot be accidental, a mistake, or the result of rogue actions by lower-level commanders. This is a deliberate expansion of the war by Russia.”

Zelenskyy called for sanctions, trade tariffs, and a coordinated system of collective defense. He said Ukraine has urged its partners to establish such protections proactively, warning against waiting for further drone or missile attacks before taking action.

The Tulcea Emergency Situations Inspectorate emphasized that Romania’s territory is not the direct target of Russian attacks and that the air alert, lasting roughly 90 minutes, was precautionary. 

Poland also responded to a separate threat on Saturday, mobilizing military aircraft after Russian drones were reported in Ukrainian regions bordering the country.

Polish authorities scrambled fighter jets and suspended operations at Lublin Airport on Saturday after reports of Russian drones in Ukrainian regions near the Polish border.

The incident comes after a wave of Russian drones entered Poland on 10 September, prompting NATO to review its eastern defenses. 

“Due to the threat of drone strikes in Ukrainian regions bordering Poland, military aircraft have been deployed in our airspace,” the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said on Facebook. 

“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have been placed on the highest state of readiness,” the statement continued.

The Operational Command said that the measures are preventive, aimed at ensuring the safety of Polish airspace and protecting citizens near areas under threat. 

NATO has announced a new defensive initiative, “Eastern Sentry,” aimed at strengthening the alliance’s ability to respond to Russian drone incursions. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Alexus G. Grynkewich made the announcement at a joint press conference on 12 September 2025. 

This comes just two days after a wave of Russian drones entered Polish territory, sparking alarm among NATO members.

The operation is a direct response to Poland invoking Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which calls for consultations among allies when a member’s territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened.

Rutte said Eastern Sentry will bolster the eastern flank, ensuring the safety and security of alliance nations.

The operation will begin in the coming days and involve military assets from Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other member states.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the effort will combine traditional military capabilities with measures specifically designed to address drone threats. 

“Eastern Sentry will add flexibility and strength to our posture, and make clear that, as a defensive alliance, we are always ready to defend,” he said.

SACEUR highlighted that integrated air- and ground-based defenses will be central to the initiative. While the immediate focus is on Poland, he emphasized that the threat transcends national borders and affects the entire alliance. 

Eastern Sentry will enhance deterrence, increase information sharing, and allow rapid deployment of counter-drone technologies.

Kyiv warned Poland about the Russian drone threat before the attack occurred. On the night of 10 September, nearly two dozen Russian drones may have entered Polish airspace, although this figure is not final, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

This incident marked the first time since Russian drones massively violated the territory of a NATO member state and prompted the country to down them with strategic aviation. 

“Ukrainian forces informed the Polish side through the appropriate channels about the movement of Russian drones. Around 00:50 Kyiv time, the first crossing of the Ukrainian-Polish border by a Russian drone was recorded,” the Ukrainian president noted.

At least two drones that entered Poland used Belarusian airspace. Meanwhile, dozens of other drones moved along the Ukraine-Belarus border and in western regions of Ukraine, approaching Ukrainian and potentially Polish targets.

Ukrainian air defenses in action

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian defenders destroyed more than 380 Russian drones of various types, including at least 250 Shaheds.

“The number of Russian drones that crossed into Polish territory and penetrated deeply may be higher than previously reported. We are checking,” the Ukrainian president said. 

Ukrainian forces continue to analyze debris to clarify drone types. The president stressed that only joint and coordinated action with allies can ensure reliable airspace protection.

NATO and regional security

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied involvement in the attack.

The incident prompted Poland to appeal to NATO, which activated Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This allows consultations regarding threats to territorial integrity and security, but does not automatically trigger a military response as Article 5 does. Polish F-16s and F-35s were scrambled to intercept drones, though most threats were neutralized by Ukrainian air defenses.

The attack happened in the midst of discussions by European and American allies on security guarantees for Ukraine. 

Intelligence insights

Joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises, “Zapad-2025,” are currently underway in Belarus, with the active phase planned for 12–16 September. During these exercises, scenarios include simulated attacks on Poland and nuclear weapons deployment, UkrInform reports. 

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, stated that the active phase will involve serious information pressure, accompanied by staged leaks and information provocations.

Russia conducted another large-scale aerial attack on Ukraine during the night of 8 September, deploying 142 strike drones across multiple regions and damaging civilian infrastructure and energy systems.

The attacks on 8 September involved Shahed-type drones, “Gerbera” drones, and other unmanned aircraft launched from four separate directions. Ukrainian defense forces successfully intercepted 112 of the attacking drones, according to the Air Force Command.

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Russia targets Ukraine’s energy sites

Russian drones specifically targeted Ukraine’s energy sector, with one thermal generation facility in Kyiv Oblast coming under what the Ministry of Energy described as “massive Russian shelling.”

The ministry stated that the attack aimed to “cause even more difficulties for the peaceful population of Ukraine, to leave Ukrainian homes, hospitals, kindergartens and schools without light and heat.”

The Ministry of Energy emphasized that generation facilities, electricity transmission and distribution systems, and gas infrastructure are civilian rather than military targets. 

Damage from Russian strikes in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk areas

In Kyiv Oblast, the attacks resulted in a fire at an industrial enterprise, which rescue teams successfully extinguished without casualties. Blast waves also damaged a shopping center and fitness club in the vicinity.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine experienced separate attacks on Pokrovska, Mezhivska, and Bohdanivska communities. The strikes ignited fires at a fire protection administrative building, a kitchen and an outbuilding at a private residence, the State Emergency Service reported. No casualties were recorded in these incidents.

Ukraine’s government headquarters in central Kyiv was struck overnight by Russian missiles and drones, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Thursday. The building, used daily by government staff, sustained structural damage, but no one inside was harmed.

Svyrydenko called the attack an example of “Russian barbarism” and urged the international community to turn outrage into concrete support for Ukraine.

“The walls will be repaired, they are only bricks, but the lives of our people can’t be restored,” Svyrydenko said on X.

As of 5:00 p.m. on 7 August, four people have been reported killed in Kyiv following the strikes.

For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the roof and upper floors of the government building were damaged. Firefighters worked through the night to put out the flames.

Svyrydenko emphasized that only a united international response, including increased air defense systems and sanctions pressure on Moscow, can protect Ukrainian communities and help bring an end to Russian aggression.

Overnight on 6-7 August, Russia carried out one of the largest aerial assaults on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, deploying over 800 drones – a record number – alongside cruise missiles. 

The attacks struck multiple cities, including Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, and Odesa.

Russia has reached monthly production capacity of 2,700 Shahed-type drones, according to Andriy Yusov, representative of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, in an interview with Novyny.LIVE.

The intelligence official specified that Russia manufactures “Geran-2” drones, which are modified versions of standard Shaheds equipped with warheads. Most production takes place at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Yelabuga, Republic of Tatarstan, Yusov reported.

Despite this production volume, Russia cannot deploy thousands of drones daily. “They cannot physically launch such quantities toward the country every day. But we see these hundreds of Shaheds and combined missile-drone strikes they carry out – these are truly massive attacks. This is a serious challenge for our air defense and anti-missile defense forces,” Yusov said.

The intelligence representative addressed claims by military radio technology specialist Serhiy Flesh that Russian forces launch Shaheds equipped with cameras and radio control systems. According to Yusov, such modifications remain experimental.

“They can modify something, but going from such limited quantities to mass production is also a certain path. Therefore, they try different means. How much they will be able to put them into full mass production depends, among other things, on access to foreign components and many other factors,” he explained.

Previous intelligence reports indicate Russia’s broader drone ambitions. In September, Ukrainian intelligence disclosed Russia’s current stockpile of “Grom-1” hybrid missiles and annual production plans. On 21 August, LIGA.net reported that Russia plans to manufacture 4,000 turbojet drones by the end of 2025, according to intelligence sources.

Warsaw acknowledged that two drones entered Polish airspace overnight on 2–3 September but were not intercepted or shot down, Reuters reported on 4 September. Polish military officials say the aerial objects posed no threat and exited the country without causing damage, even as Russia launched a major drone and missile assault across Ukraine the same night.

This occurred during Moscow’s daily air attack on Ukraine, as Russia launched more than 500 drones and dozens of missiles on Ukraine overnight. According to the reports, 14 locations across the country were hit, including critical energy and transport infrastructure. Four Ukrainian railway workers were injured in the attacks.

Poland confirms airspace violations but takes no action

According to Reuters, General Maciej Klisz, Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces, confirmed at a news conference that “we had two airspace violations.” He claimed that “these two violations were under the full control of national forces and units assigned to the state defense system.”

General Wiesław Kukula, Chief of the General Staff, stated that the drones “left Polish airspace without causing any damage,” which means that Poland once again allowed the Russian drones to use its airspace than safely return to Ukraine to attack residential areas. 

The Polish army did not disclose the drones’ point of entry or flight path, and no effort was made to shoot them down.

The incursion occurred overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday — 2 and 3 September — triggering a National Security Council meeting in Warsaw.

Military stays silent as drones cross NATO border

The lack of any military response highlights Poland’s continued restraint, even after repeated airspace violations. Poland, a NATO member state and a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its defense against Russia, has yet to shoot down any drones entering its territory since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The army has remained on high alert since a stray Ukrainian missile struck a village in southern Poland in 2022, killing two people. Yet, despite increased vigilance, no interception measures were taken during this latest event.

In August, a drone crashed into a cornfield in eastern Poland. A prosecutor later said the drone likely entered Polish territory from the direction of Belarus, a close Russian ally. Ukrainian sources noted that the drone remained 2.5 hours in the Polish airspace and was never intercepted.

Airspace monitoring channels reported the incursion during the assault

Warnings about drones heading toward Poland were posted on 3 September by several Ukraine-linked Telegram channels tied to air defense monitoring.

At 3:36 a.m., Ukrainian Telegram channel Nikolaevsky Vanyok, affiliated with air defense forces, wrote:

“1 [Shahed drone is] south of Sambir, course to Poland.”

Almost simultaneously, at 3:35 a.m., the airspace monitoring Telegram channel Zakhid Holovne reported:

“ One more Shahed toward Kolomyia and one drone through Sambir to Poland.”

Four minutes later, at 3:39 a.m., the same channel posted in Polish:

“ 03:39 Air alert in the Republic of Poland.”

Editor’s note: This article is being updated as new information comes in.

Russia launched a massive aerial strike on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities far from the front lines on the morning of 28 August, 2025. 

At least 21 people have been killed in Kyiv, with another 63 injured – reported as of 20:45pm. 

Four children are among the dead, including three aged 2, 14, and 17. Eleven children are also injured.

35 people are hospitalized, including six children. 

The barrage struck 33 locations throughout the city, with a direct missile hit destroying a five-story apartment building in Darnytskyi district where rescue operations continue to extract people from rubble.

“We have a record – damage in all districts of the city,” reports Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration Timur Tkachenko.

“These Russian missiles and strike drones today are a clear response to everyone in the world who has been calling for a ceasefire and real diplomacy for weeks and months,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram.

He called on world leaders to react to the attack, specifically calling out China and Hungary. “We are waiting for the reaction of everyone in the world who called for peace, but now remains silent more often than taking principled positions.”

“All deadlines have been missed, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy have been ruined. Russia must feel responsibility for every strike, for every day of this war,” he added. 

Russia launched 598 drones overnight, including both Shahed attack drones and decoy drones designed to overwhelm air defense, Ukraine’s Air Force reports.

They also launched 31 missiles, including 2 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, 9 Iskander-M or North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 20 Kh-101 cruise missiles. 

Ukraine’s air defense intercepted 563 drones, 1 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile, 7 Iskander-M/KN-23 missiles, and 18 Kh-101 missiles, according to the statement. 

Impact of the attack across Kyiv

In Darnytskyi district, Russians destroyed part of a five-story apartment building with a direct hit. Nine- and 16-story residential buildings, a private house, parking area, and kindergarten were also damaged.

In Dniprovskyi district, a 25-story residential building was damaged and a drone hit the yard next to a nine-story building, setting cars on fire. Dozens of vehicles were damaged across several locations in the district.

In Solomianskyi district, a private residential house caught fire, but the blaze has been contained.

Shevchenkivskyi district also suffered heavy damage, with several non-residential buildings, offices, and civilian vehicles hit.

In Holosiivskyi district, fires broke out at several locations in the morning, leaving more than 10 buildings with shattered windows and damaging vehicles.

Non-residential areas in Desnyanskyyi district were also affected, while damage was reported in Obolonskyi district.