Upgraded Russian cruise missile crashes in Ukraine
Photos have emerged of Russia’s newest version of the Geran-5 light cruise missile, known as the Geran-5 K5-K and often described in the media as a jet-powered drone, lying in a field somewhere in Ukraine’s Odesa region after it came down during an attack, with the serial number ANS-3031 visible on the airframe.
It is not yet known why the Geran-5 K5-K crashed, whether it was hit by Ukrainian air defenses, brought down by electronic warfare or failed on its own, and Ukrainian officials have not commented publicly on the find.
The K5-K is an upgraded version of the Geran-5 cruise missile with a noticeably different design from the first versions of the weapon, and Ukrainian sources say the new variant has a modified fuselage, smaller swept-back wings, a tail without wingtips and an engine moved from an external pod into the fuselage, along with more modern navigation equipment.
Russian forces began using the new version in late September, and Ukrainian defense technology adviser Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov has said it carries autonomous optical navigation that compares images of the ground below with stored data to correct its course without satellite signals, which makes it much harder to throw off course with jamming, while its designers are reportedly aiming for speeds of up to 900 km/h (559 mph).
Russia first used the original Geran-5 against Ukraine in early January 2026, when Ukraine’s military intelligence described it as a turbojet-powered weapon with a conventional cruise-missile layout, a warhead of about 90 kg (198 pounds) and an advertised range of roughly 1,000 km (621 miles), and said its design was substantially similar to Iran’s Karrar.
Geran-5 cruise misisle
Ukrainian intelligence data give the baseline Geran-5 a length of about 6.5 meters (21 feet), a wingspan of 3.2 meters (10.5 feet), a takeoff weight of up to 850 kg (1,874 pounds) and a cruising speed of 450 to 600 km/h (280 to 373 mph), using a Chinese-made Telefly turbojet, a Kometa anti-jamming satellite navigation receiver and cellular modems.
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence has said Russia produces about 3,000 Geran-4 and Geran-5 weapons a month at the Alabuga plant in Tatarstan, and that Moscow has been building additional production facilities there since May 2026.
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A Russian Geran-5 K5-K cruise missile crashed in a field in Ukraine's Odesa region during an attack. The missile, which features a modified design and advanced navigation systems, was first deployed by Russian forces in late September 2026. Ukrainian officials have not commented on the incident, and the cause of the crash remains unclear.
- Photos of the Geran-5 K5-K missile were found in Ukraine's Odesa region.
- The missile crashed during an attack, with its serial number visible.
- The K5-K variant features a modified design and advanced navigation capabilities.
- Russia began using the K5-K version in late September 2026.
- Ukraine's intelligence indicates Russia produces about 3,000 Geran missiles monthly.