Ukraine turns its Bars strike drone into a Shahed hunter

Ukraine has used an interceptor variant of its turbojet-powered Bars drone to destroy a Russian Geran-5 jet-powered attack drone, according to military footage published on October 19, 2026. The video shows a ground-launched Bars derivative engaging the airborne target, marking a change from the platform's established role in long-range strikes against ground infrastructure. Russia's Geran-5 is faster and operates at higher altitudes than propeller-driven Shahed variants, complicating interception by small quadcopters. The footage documents one engagement rather than a disclosed production program, operational inventory or independently verified interception rate for the new Bars configuration.