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As Ukraine has worked to strengthen its defenses against Russian drones, Moscow has begun producing a new generation of high-precision, relatively low-cost weapons faster than Ukraine and the United States, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The newspaper highlights Russia’s newer Geran drones and Banderol drone-missiles, which combine low production costs with advanced electronics that help them identify targets accurately and evade interception.
According to WSJ, the development of these weapons has been supported by Chinese-supplied components, in apparent violation of international sanctions. Ukraine and other officials say fragments recovered from downed Russian drones provide evidence of Chinese involvement.
Analysts and diplomats say the new weapons demonstrate Russia’s ability to adapt and innovate during wartime. Moscow developed and deployed both systems within a few years by modifying earlier designs, testing them in combat and rapidly moving into mass production.
This has allowed Russia to move faster than its opponents. Ukraine has also demonstrated an ability to innovate quickly, including developing effective jet-powered drones, but it faces greater constraints in production capacity and long-term planning.
The United States and its NATO allies, meanwhile, are working to expand production of critical weapons such as Patriot air-defense interceptors, while Western governments continue looking for ways to speed up the transition from new technologies to mass-produced weapons.
The developments also have implications beyond the war in Ukraine. Russia, Iran and North Korea are increasingly exchanging military expertise, while technologies developed or adapted through the war in Ukraine are also influencing U.S. military operations against Iran.
Low-cost weapons with advanced capabilities
Both Banderol and Geran drones fit the demand for relatively cheap but effective one-way weapons — a balance that Ukraine and Western countries are also seeking.
The new systems combine upgraded low-cost designs with simplified elements of more advanced weapons. Their capabilities differ in terms of cost, range, speed, explosive power and resistance to interception.
The estimated cost of a Banderol drone-missile or Geran-5 is around $100,000, compared with more than $2 million for a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile and similar high-end systems.
In early September, reports also emerged that Russia had established mass production of jet engines for drones, circumventing Western sanctions and potentially reducing production costs by at least half.
Ukraine has also warned that Russia plans to expand production of ballistic missiles, prompting Kyiv to seek additional ways to counter the Kremlin’s growing missile capabilities.
