Russia is expected to showcase its long-range Geran-2 kamikaze drones for the first time during the upcoming Victory Day parade on May 9, marking a rare public appearance of the weapon widely used in strikes against Ukraine.
Footage from a recent rehearsal shows the drones loaded onto a KamAZ-6350 military truck with an armored K-5350 cab, parading through military airfield near Moscow.
The Geran-2, an Iran-made Shahed-series loitering munition, has become a key component of Russia’s long-range strike capabilities since its deployment began in late 2022.
Despite Russian claims of domestic origin, defense analysts and multiple Western governments have confirmed that the Geran-2 is identical in design and performance to Iran’s Shahed-136 drone. According to open-source intelligence, Iran delivers the systems in kit form, allowing Russian forces to assemble them locally to avoid sanctions and traceability.
The Shahed-136 is designed for one-way missions and carries a high-explosive warhead capable of striking infrastructure targets hundreds of kilometers away. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly condemned Russia’s use of these drones against civilian areas, citing their role in large-scale attacks on power grids and urban centers.
Their relatively low cost and GPS-guided precision make them attractive for sustained attacks, especially during periods of intensified military operations.
Victory Day, which commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, has long been used by Russian leaders to project military strength and technological prowess. This year’s display, featuring battlefield-tested loitering munitions, may offer insight into the evolving priorities of Moscow’s war machine.