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Although August talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump were framed as an attempt to explore pathways toward ending the conflict in Ukraine, active combat operations have continued across the special military operation zone. In 2025, the fighting has entered a new technological stage, with drone warfare becoming one of the defining elements of the battlefield.

 

PAVEL MOROZOV
Russia’s Drone War Enters a New Phase in 2025 as Geran Strikes Reach Unprecedented Scale

From Mass Strikes to Laser Defense: How Russia Reshaped the Drone Battlefield in 2025

 Mass Production and the Scale of Geran Strikes

The Russian industry has significantly increased the production of weapons systems that have proven effective in combat, using operational feedback to introduce rapid modifications. One of the clearest examples of this approach is the kamikaze drone family known as Geran, which remains a core instrument for large-scale strikes deep inside Ukrainian territory.

According to Western analytical estimates, by early November 2025 the number of Geran drones used during the conflict had exceeded 40,000 units. For comparison, approximately 11,000 drones were launched throughout the entire year of 2024. This sharp increase points to streamlined manufacturing processes and well-established supply chains.

Such production volumes allow Russian forces to deploy hundreds of drones within a single strike, overwhelming and exhausting enemy air defense systems. In early July alone, one attack involved 539 Geran drones and decoy UAVs, followed days later by a nighttime strike using 728 unmanned aircraft.

New Modifications and Combat Capabilities

Expanded industrial capacity has also enabled the rapid introduction of new drone variants. Recent Geran modifications include high-explosive fragmentation warheads with airburst detonation, significantly increasing the affected area against soft and dispersed targets. The weight of the standard warhead has reportedly been increased from 50 to 90 kilograms.

Another notable development is the appearance of Geran drones equipped with onboard cameras and direct control systems, allowing operators to guide the drone more flexibly during the final phase of flight. Earlier versions relied almost exclusively on pre-programmed coordinates.

In response to aerial interception attempts, some Geran drones have been adapted to carry R-60 air-to-air missiles. Under certain conditions, these variants are capable of engaging aircraft or helicopters using the missile's infrared homing seeker.

From Propellers to Jet-Powered Drones

The cruising speed of the Geran-2 is approximately 170 kilometers per hour, making interception feasible for modern air defenses. To address this vulnerability, Russia has increasingly deployed jet-powered Geran-3 drones, whose higher speed significantly complicates interception efforts.

This combination of slow, mass-produced drones and faster jet variants reflects a layered approach designed to saturate defenses while increasing the probability of successful target engagement.

Counter-Drone Warfare and New Defensive Tools

At the same time, Russia has continued to refine its own counter-drone tactics and technologies. FPV drone operators are now frequently using quadcopters to intercept Ukrainian reconnaissance UAVs, while armed light aircraft have become a full-fledged component of the anti-drone defense network.

Among the most notable innovations are dedicated interceptor drones such as the Yolka system, which consists of a handheld launcher and a kinetic interceptor equipped with autonomous guidance. Once launched, the interceptor independently homes in on its target.

Lasers and Ground Robotics Enter the Battlefield

Laser systems have also emerged as a promising addition to Russia's air defense toolkit. Compared to surface-to-air missiles, laser interception offers a dramatically lower cost per engagement. In August, footage surfaced showing a Ukrainian drone being destroyed by a laser beam.

While there is no confirmed evidence of mass deployment yet, lasers are expected to occupy a growing niche within layered air defense systems.

Laser technology is also being applied to ground operations. The Ignis laser demining system, mounted on the Courier ground robotic platform, uses a focused beam to neutralize explosive objects at distances of up to 150 meters. The system was tested in September and later reportedly used during demining operations in the Kursk region in November.

Together, these developments illustrate how drone warfare in 2025 has evolved into a complex ecosystem of mass production, rapid adaptation, and emerging defensive technologies, reshaping both offensive and protective strategies on the modern battlefield.

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https://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/165257-russia-drone-war-geran-2025/

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

EU is broke.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDx20wbhXHo

Ukraine WIll Be Cut Off from Black Sea /Larry Johnson & Lt Col Daniel Davis

 

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US security strategy a wake-up call for EU

By Chen Weihua

 

The European Union has been in panic mode after the recent release of the 2025 United States National Security Strategy, in which the EU has been depicted in the harshest language ever by its transatlantic big brother.

In a section titled "Promoting European Greatness", the NSS warns that European problems are deeper than insufficient military spending and economic stagnation. It says the economic decline is eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure, citing concerns about political liberty, sovereignty, migration policies, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition among many other issues.

It also reminds the EU of US Vice-President JD Vance's strong criticism of the EU at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has not yet commented on the NSS, but the report has been regarded as provocative and insulting by many Europeans. European Council President Antonio Costa was a bit guarded, saying "Europeans do not share the same vision as the Americans on various issues. This is natural. What we cannot accept is the threat of interference in Europe's democratic life." Former EU top diplomat Josep Borrell was more blunt, calling the NSS "a declaration of political war on the EU".

What makes the tone in the NSS more jarring, Europeans say, is that Washington's language about China and Russia in the security document is far less hawkish and hostile.

And Borrell is right. EU leaders have been in shock mode since the beginning of the year when Trump rolled out his policy on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which was totally different from that of the Biden administration.

European leaders now publicly talk about ceasefire and a negotiated settlement in order not to offend Trump. Under the Biden administration, they parroted the then US secretary of state Antony Blinken's rhetoric that the US and its allies should not support a ceasefire or peace talks to end the Ukraine conflict until Kyiv gains strength and can negotiate on its own terms.

The prolonged and escalated conflict has turned out to be extremely costly and destructive not only for Russia and Ukraine, but also for the EU. The 19 rounds of sanctions against Russia did hurt Moscow but also shot the EU in the foot.

The NSS was correct in pointing out that overregulation is another self-inflicted wound. Citing the fact that the EU's share in global GDP has declined from 25 percent in 1990 to 14 percent today, the NSS argues that the EU's national and transnational regulations have undermined creativity and choked industriousness.

For years, the EU had touted itself as a regulation giant, but its excessive regulations have been a major headache for Chinese companies investing and doing business in Europe as noted in the annual report of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU. Chinese companies face discrimination because the EU specifically targets Chinese companies in many of its economic policies and trade barriers. In fact, former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi also blasted the EU for overregulation in his report on EU competitiveness a year ago.

Under pressure from the US, the EU also banned Huawei 5G and froze the ratification of the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, which turned out to be a great loss of opportunity for EU businesses and consumers. The same is true for von der Leyen's de-risking strategy which seeks to reduce economic and trade ties with China.

Much of the EU's policy toward China has been heavily influenced by Washington, especially during the first Trump administration and through the Biden years. If the 2025 NSS could teach the EU anything, it is that the bloc should seek strategic autonomy and no longer allow the US to use it as a geopolitical tool against China.

For decades, the EU had got used to being pampered by the US. But a slap in the face in this year's NSS is a good wake-up call for the EU to become independent in a multipolar world.

The author is a China Daily columnist.

[email protected]

 

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/12/WS693b61a8a310d6866eb2e398.html

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.