From “Shaheeds” to “Lancets”: which drones can Russia use for attacks in Europe?

Russia is expanding its fleet of strike drones and creating more and more different models. Some of them Moscow could potentially use for attacks on European countries, including launching drones from ships in the Mediterranean Sea.

Euronews reports this, citing US intelligence data. The report concerns the possible use of vessels of the so-called shadow fleet as platforms for launching drones.

Russia has significantly diversified its drone arsenal over the years of the war. In addition to the Geraniums, which are used for massive strikes on Ukraine, the Russian forces have reconnaissance, strike, and FPV drones.

One of the main ones remains the Geran-2, a Russian version of the Iranian Shahed-136. Depending on the modification, such drones can cover a range of up to 2,500 km and carry a warhead weighing up to 50 kg. Their relatively low cost allows Russia to use drones on a massive scale.

Russia is also developing jet versions of the Geranium. According to Euronews, the Geranium-3 can accelerate to 370 km/h, the Geranium-4 to 500 km/h, and the Geranium-5 to 600 km/h. For some modifications, a range of about 1,000 km and a combat load of up to 90 kg are claimed.

Another Russian drone is the Gerber. Initially, it was created mainly as a cheap decoy for Ukrainian air defense. At the same time, some of these drones, according to Ukrainian intelligence, began to be equipped with explosive charges. The flight range of some versions can be up to 600 km.

The Russian military uses the Lancets for targeted strikes. They are primarily designed to destroy artillery, radar, and armored vehicles. There is also talk of a heavier version of the Lancet XXL, but its specifications have not been officially confirmed.

The Russian Federation also has reconnaissance “Orlan-10” in its arsenal. They are used for surveillance, artillery adjustment, and data transmission. The drone can stay in the air for up to 18 hours.

Among the heavier systems, Euronews mentions the Orion. It is a multi-purpose drone weighing about a ton, which can carry weapons and stay in the air for up to 24 hours. At the same time, its production remains limited.

A separate direction is fiber-optic FPV drones. They are controlled via cable, so traditional electronic warfare means are less effective against them. Russian models of this type usually have a range of about 20–30 km.

According to the authors of the material, the combination of different types of drones and their range expands Russia’s capabilities for potential attacks outside Ukraine.

The publication notes that in the case of using shadow fleet ships in the Mediterranean Sea, potential launch vehicles could be Geran-2, Geran-3, Geran-4, and Geran-5. At the same time, this is a possible scenario, not a confirmed fact of preparing a specific attack.

Recall that Russia is increasingly creating threats near the borders of Ukraine and neighboring countries . ISW believes that a series of such incidents may be part of a broader Kremlin campaign aimed at testing the reaction of European states and gradually getting used to violations of their airspace.

At the same time, the European Union is increasing defense spending, but so far it is not doing so quickly enough to reach the required level of readiness by 2030. The EU warns thatin the event of a further deterioration in the security situation, the bloc’s countries need to significantly accelerate rearmament.

Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , X , Telegram , and Instagram.