Ukraine Downs Russian Geran-5 With Swedish RBS-70 in Kyiv Region for First Time

Ukraine’s Defense Forces shot down a Russian jet-powered Geran-5 drone over the Kyiv region using a Swedish-made RBS-70 man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) for the first time, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) said on Friday, Nov. 13.The interception was carried out by personnel of the 1027th Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Regiment, the General Staff of the AFU reported, without providing additional information on when or exactly where the drone was intercepted.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The announcement comes as Russia’s growing use of jet-powered drones, which can reach speeds of up to 400-600 kilometers per hour (250-370 miles per hour), has forced Kyiv to continue adapting its air defenses.Crew describes shootdown days before announcementIn an interview with Ukrainian news outlet LB.ua published on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and conducted by Serhii Zayats of the Armed Forces Media Center, the acting commander of the regiment’s RBS-70 crew said his team had recently shot down a Geran-5 drone.The commander, who goes by the callsign “Vigo,” said that, to his knowledge, it was the first time the jet-powered drone had been downed in the Kyiv region with this type of weapon.The Geran-5, according to him, flies at more than 500 km/h (310 mph) and drops toward its target only a couple minutes before impact, which generally leaves air defense crews limited time to engage it.The Swedish system, meanwhile, has an edge over the shoulder-fired weapons. “The main feature of the RBS-70 is the absence of a homing head that reacts to heat,” Vigo told the outlet. Other Topics of Interest The German chancellor said some leaders also voiced concern about a “second Anchorage moment” between the US and Russia. Formed in March 2025 from an anti-aircraft battalion that had previously served in the 101st Separate Guard Brigade of the General Staff, the regiment belongs to Ukraine’s Ground Forces.Why a laser-guided missile mattersMost shoulder-fired missiles home in on the heat of a target’s engine, which means decoy flares can throw them off course.The RBS-70, made by Sweden’s Saab Bofors Dynamics, uses a different method: its missile follows a laser beam that creates a corridor to the target, allowing it to operate even against infrared decoys and electronic jamming, according to Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi.The tripod-mounted system can hit targets at ranges of up to 5,000-8,000 meters (3-5 miles) and altitudes of up to 3,000-5,000 meters (2-3 miles).Ukrainian military personnel reportedly began training on it as early as January 2023, and Sweden has kept supplying the system ever since.In February 2025, the Swedish government announced plans to procure the latest version of the RBS-70, together with Tridon Mk2 anti-aircraft guns, as a donation for Ukraine.In the same statement, Sweden said its support for Ukraine would continue “for as long as necessary,” pointing to its previous military aid package worth about 13.5 billion Swedish kronor (about $1.2 billion at the time) – Stockholm’s largest at the time.Separately on Friday, Nov. 13, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with his Swedish counterpart, Maria Malmer Stenergard, on the sidelines of the Sir Bani Yas forum in Abu Dhabi.According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they discussed the schedule for the deliveries of Gripen aircraft, increasing pressure on Moscow, and Ukraine’s path to EU membership.How Ukraine is countering the jet-powered droneUkraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR) said in January that Russian forces had used the Geran-5 against Ukraine for the first time in early 2026, during combined aerial attacks.HUR said at the time that the 850-kilogram drone’s design closely mirrors Iran’s Karrar, and that many of its systems match those used in other Geran drones produced at Russia’s Alabuga plant.On September 21, the 1020th Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Regiment released footage of a Ukrainian-made STING S intercceptor drone destroying a Geran-5.On Oct. 5, Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said AI-guided robotic machine-gun turrets had also brought down jet-powered drones, though he acknowledged their range is limited. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.