The key facts

  • Ukraine's GUR stated that the Russian army is using Geran drones with speeds of up to 1,000 km/h
  • Expert Yuri Knutov linked this to the possibility of strikes on border crossings on the border with Poland
  • In his view, this would reduce NATO supplies and hit Ukrainian defense enterprises

GUR's report and the expert's assessment

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate the day before issued a statement, saying that the Russian army is using Geran drones capable of accelerating to 1,000 km/h. The next day, military expert Yuri Knutov, in a comment to Gazeta.Ru , outlined how, in his view, such characteristics could affect the course of the conflict.

What the expert believes the use of high-speed Gerans will change

Knutov tied the effect to the range of use: if it is achieved, strikes could be carried out on the border crossings linking Ukraine with Poland. According to him, putting this infrastructure out of action would isolate Ukraine from Poland and, in effect, from NATO arms supplies — deliveries would 'shrink considerably.' In addition, in the expert's assessment, jet-powered Gerans hit Ukrainian defense enterprises, so not only the delivery of weapons from NATO countries would shrink, but also domestic production and assembly on Ukrainian territory. The consequence, Knutov noted, would be a manyfold reduction in the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces along the line of contact.

What is important to keep in mind

The assessment of the consequences belongs to the expert and rests on two conditions he himself named: achieving the necessary flight range and successfully hitting the infrastructure. The only confirmed fact at this point remains the Ukrainian intelligence statement about the use of drones with speeds of up to 1,000 km/h; the publications contain no data on actual strikes against border crossings or on changes in the volume of supplies.