---
title: "Russian MoD claims attack on Ukraine by \"new elusive\" Geran drones: what is known and how they are already being intercepted"
description: "The Russian MoD announced on the morning of August 27 an attack on Ukraine by \"new elusive\" Geran drones, without disclosing their differences. Ukrainian air defense and the ZIRKA and Sting-2 interceptors are already recording the downing of Geran-4 and Geran-5."
date: 2026-08-27T07:34:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russian-mo-claims-new-elusive-geran-drones-attack-ukraine-aug-27
tags: [ukraine-war, geran-drones, russia-military, air-defense, zirks-interceptor, sting-2]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Russian MoD claims attack on Ukraine by "new elusive" Geran drones: what is known and how they are already being intercepted

![Soldier launching a Geran cruise strike drone in a field, UAV launch toward Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/27/mo-rf-zayavilo-o-novyh-geranyah-ataka-na-ukrainu-27-avgusta/mo-rf-zayavilo-o-novyh-geranyah-ataka-na-ukrainu-27-avgusta-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The Russian MoD announced on August 27 the use of a new modification of the Geran drone and called them "elusive," without disclosing technical differences.
- Ukrainian air defense, according to available data, neutralizes about 90% of Russian UAVs daily.
- Ukrainian sources confirm the first interception of a Geran-4 by the ZIRKA drone and the development of the Sting-2 hunter against Geran-4 and Geran-5.
- The Russian MoD's claims of striking only military objects are not supported by confirmation; on the day of August 27, strikes on Kyiv were ongoing.

On the morning of August 27, 2026, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported in its official Telegram channel on a nighttime attack on Ukraine and announced the use of a new modification of the Geran strike drone. Alongside the published footage of the UAVs in the sky, the ministry added the caption "New elusive ones" and the cynical comment "The Gerans delivered a powerful strike at night," effectively boasting about the intensified strikes on Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, as Ukrainian media note, Russia has not disclosed exactly how the claimed new modifications differ from previous versions of the Geran.

### Russian MoD statement: "new elusive" drones without technical details

The Russian defense department published images of its drones in the air and accompanied them with the claim that "new" Geran-type drones were used during the nighttime attack on August 27. However, the message contains not a single technical parameter: no differences in aerodynamics, armament, range, or guidance systems are named. In effect, the statement boils down to the propagandist formulation "elusive," which cannot be verified without independent data. The Ukrainian side, for its part, reminds that air defense neutralizes about 90% of Russian drones daily, which directly contradicts the thesis of "elusiveness."

### Ukrainian response: interceptors against Geran-4 and Geran-5

Against the backdrop of Russian claims, Ukrainian sources record an already functioning response to the new modifications. According to Ukrainian publications, the ZIRKA interceptor drone officially confirmed its first interception of a Geran-4 missile, and a specialized Sting-2 hunter drone has been developed in the country, designed to destroy the jet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5. Thus, the thesis of "elusive" drones promoted by the Russian MoD is in practice refuted by Ukraine's possession of a whole set of countermeasures specifically against these modifications.

### Contradictory data

There are several open inconsistencies here. First, the Russian MoD claims that only military objects are supposedly being struck, yet it provides no confirmation of this, while the ministry publicly boasts of a "powerful strike" on Ukrainian territory — which is consistent with reports of strikes on civilian objects and explosions in Kyiv. Second, the Russian "new elusive" drones, by their own footage, are already within the zone of Ukrainian air defense and interceptors, which contradicts the claimed "elusiveness." Third, the characteristics of the new modifications have not been disclosed by either side, so their real differences from previous Gerans remain unconfirmed.

### Course of the August 27 attack and strikes on Kyiv

The nighttime attack of August 27, reported by the Russian MoD, was accompanied by the operation of Ukrainian air defense, which, according to available data, intercepted a significant portion of the drones and repelled the aerial assault, including attempts to use ballistic missiles. On the day of August 27, reports say Russia again struck Kyiv, with explosions heard in the city. The full consequences of the nighttime attack and the results of air defense operations were previously described in detail by Ukrainian editors, including RBC-Ukraine.

### What this means

The Russian MoD's statement of August 27 should be viewed primarily as an information-psychological move: without disclosing the technical differences of the "new" drones and given that Ukraine has confirmed means of intercepting them, the thesis of "elusive" Gerans remains unverified. The key fact confirmed by both sides is the ongoing massive strikes and the daily operation of air defense, rather than the specific characteristics of the claimed new modification.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [In Russia, an attack on Ukraine by new Geran drones was announced](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiyi-zayavili-ataku-ukrayinu-novih-droniv-1787815735.html) - Подтверждает заявление МО РФ о новых «Геранях», кадрах с надписью «Новые неуловимые» и комментарий «Герани ночью мощно отработали»; упоминает ~90% сбитых БПЛА и удары по Киеву днем 27 августа.
- [Officially confirmed: Ukrainian interceptor drone ZIRKA shot down a Geran-4 missile for the first time](https://itc.ua/news/ofytsyalno-podtverzhdeno-ukraynskyj-dron-perehvatchyk-zirka-vpervye-sbyl-raketu-geran-4/) - Подтверждает первый перехват «Герань-4» дроном ZIRKA — опровергает тезис «неуловимости».
- [Ukraine has already found a response to Russian Geran-4, - Flash](https://www.unian.net/weapons/geran-4-flesh-obyasnil-chem-ukraina-budet-otvechat-na-novyy-rossiyskiy-dron-13392837.html) - Контекст: украинский ответ на «Герань-4», согласуется с тезисом о работающем противодействии.
- [A new hunter drone for destroying Russian Gerans has been created in Ukraine, – BI](https://www.unian.net/weapons/dron-perehvatchik-sting-2-ukraina-razrabotala-bespilotnik-protiv-reaktivnyh-geran-4-i-geran-5-13409217.html) - Контекст: украинский ответ на «Герань-4», согласуется с тезисом о работающем противодействии.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did the Russian MoD announce on August 27?
**A:** The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the use of a new modification of the Geran strike drone during a nighttime attack on Ukraine and published footage with the caption "New elusive ones," but did not disclose the technical differences of the new modifications.

### Q: How do the "new" Gerans differ from previous ones?
**A:** Neither side has disclosed specific technical differences. The Russian department limited itself to the formulation "elusive," which cannot be verified without independent data.

### Q: Is Ukraine managing to shoot down these drones?
**A:** According to available data, Ukrainian air defense neutralizes about 90% of Russian UAVs daily. The first interception of a Geran-4 by the ZIRKA drone has also been confirmed, and the Sting-2 system has been developed against Geran-4 and Geran-5.

### Q: What objects were struck?
**A:** The Russian MoD claims it strikes only military objects, but provides no confirmation. The Ukrainian side reports strikes on territory, including explosions in Kyiv on the day of August 27.