Geran-2

The Geran-2 is Russia's military designation for an upgraded variant of Iran's Shahed-136 loitering munition, which Russia has used extensively against Ukrainian infrastructure since 2022. In a significant reversal of the supply relationship, Russia shipped upgraded Geran-2 variants back to Iran via sea, with delivery completed by end of March 2026. President Zelensky confirmed the transfer; Russia also provided satellite targeting data alongside the drones.

Russia manufactures roughly 1,000 Geran-2s per day. The original Shahed-136 uses a delta-wing layout with a piston engine and warhead in its nose, and has a range exceeding 2,500 km. The Russian upgrades are reported to include improved navigation and countermeasure resistance. Iran originally supplied the Shahed design to Russia in 2022; the Geran-2 is the production-evolved version developed under Russian industrial capacity.

The transfer deepens Russia-Iran military interdependence at a moment when Iran's drone stocks are under sustained attrition from Coalition interception. Receiving an upgraded variant from a major industrial producer addresses both quantity and quality gaps simultaneously, and signals that Russia views Iranian persistence as strategically valuable in its own conflict with the West.