The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on 30/6 that "Geran-2 suicide drones destroyed a position of the 58th Independent Motorized Infantry Brigade of Ukraine, along with UAV storage facilities in the Konotop area".
Video released by the Russian military shows a reconnaissance drone surveying a location with several warehouses, seemingly to identify targets. Subsequent footage shows multiple fires erupting and producing thick columns of smoke, apparently after a series of Geran-2 drones hit the area.
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not specify the extent of Ukrainian losses, and the Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the report.
Lost Armour, a Russia-based open-source intelligence analysis website, reported that the attack took place on the morning of 29/6.
The Ukrainian Air Force Command stated that Russia attacked the country with 60 missiles of various types, along with 477 Geran-2 suicide drones and decoy aircraft in the early morning of 29/6.
Ukrainian air defense units shot down one Iskander-M ballistic missile, 37 Kh-101, Kalibr and Iskander-K missiles, and 211 suicide drones. Electronic countermeasures also caused one Kh-101 cruise missile and 225 aircraft to go off course.
The Ukrainian Air Force did not mention the remaining 4 Kinzhal missiles, 6 Iskander missiles, 8 cruise missiles, 3 S-300 missiles, and 4 UAVs. However, they acknowledged that some areas were hit. "Enemy weapons directly hit 6 locations, and missile and UAV debris fell in 8 locations," the statement said.
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Location of Konotop city, Sumy region. Graphic: RYV |
The Geran-2 is a Russian-made suicide drone based on the Iranian Shahed-136 design. The initial Geran-2 variant carries a 50 kg warhead and has a range of 2,500 km. It is the main suicide drone used by the Russian military in long-range attacks against Ukraine, but it can also target tactical targets near the front lines if required.
Russia has significantly upgraded the Geran-2 to increase its effectiveness, including equipping it with a new 90 kg warhead, combining electro-optical sensors with AI technology to identify targets and designate them for subsequent attacks, and enhancing its anti-jamming capabilities to counter electronic warfare measures.
In recent months, Russia has frequently launched large numbers of UAVs in combination with various types of missiles against its neighbor, amid reports of dwindling ammunition supplies for Ukrainian air defense units. Ukrainian military intelligence sources believe Russia is preparing a plan to deploy 500 suicide drones nightly to attack Ukraine.
Nguyen Tien (According to Zvezda, RIA Novosti, AP)
