Ukraine's military intelligence names Russian unit behind deadly jet-powered drone strike on Chernihiv supermarket

Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) on July 27 revealed details about the Russian unit responsible for targeting a busy Chernihiv supermarket in broad daylight in a drone attack the day before.

Russia struck an ATB grocery store in the northern city of Chernihiv in the afternoon on July 26, killing two people, including a 9-year-old girl. Another 25 victims were injured, including three children.

HUR called the attack a "war crime" in their report, which identifies the Russian unit who launched the drone: Combat Group 3 of the GROM "Cascade" Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, part of the Russian Military's Unmanned Systems Forces.

Russia established its Unmanned Systems Forces as a separate military branch in 2025, a year after Ukraine made the same move.

HUR said Group 3 of the GROM Cascade unit launched a jet-powered Geran-4 drone at the supermarket from a drone port in Russia's Bryansk Oblast. The agency identified the group's senior officer as A.O. Sergunin.

According to HUR, the GROM Cascade brigade specializes in long-range drone attacks against civilian targets in Ukraine and has a reputation for attracting "privileged" members of society to its ranks. These include officials, lawmakers, bureaucrats, and "regional warlords," the agency said.

These individuals are offered short-term contracts that last a few months and afford them veteran status "without coming anywhere near the combat zone," HUR said.

In 2025, HUR identified the commander of the GROM Cascade brigade as Lieutenant Colonel Ruslan Negrub.

The Geran-4 drone that struck the Chernihiv supermarket was equipped with a video camera, HUR reported. Previously, Chernihiv police said the camera on the drone indicated that Russia deliberately chose to attack a civilian target in the middle of the day.

Russia's Geran series of drones are modeled on the Iranian-made Shaheds, valued for their ability to carry large warheads over vast distances.

Russia has continued modifying and modernizing the Shahed model throughout the full-scale war, with the first jet-powered version of the drone reported downed by Ukraine in January 2024. In summer 2025, Russia began launching jet-powered, upgraded Gerans in mass attacks against Kyiv.

The rocket-powered Geran-4 has a cruising speed of up to 500 kilometers per hour and can carry a 50 kilogram payload. Ukrainian forces first reported shooting down the new model in January 2026.

HUR said it was continuing to work on identifying all the perpetrators involved in the July 26 strike against Chernihiv.

"(F)or every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people, there will be fair retribution," the agency said.