Russia adapts decoy drone for one-way attacks at ranges of up to 1,200 kilometers, HUR says
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Russia has modified and enlarged its Gerbera decoy drone, turning it into a lightweight, long-range one-way attack drone, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said.
According to a technical breakdown published by HUR, the new version, called the Gerbera-2, has a range of 1,200 kilometers and carries a 25-kilogram warhead. The original Gerbera was designed as an inexpensive decoy to overwhelm and confuse Ukrainian air defenses.
The Gerbera-2 has a wingspan of 3 meters and a fuselage length of 2.6 meters, as well as upgraded flight avionics and a larger fuel tank, HUR said.
Components manufactured in the U.S., China, Taiwan, Switzerland, Ireland, and the Netherlands were identified in the drone's construction, according to HUR's analysis of recovered wreckage.
The drone's increased range may indicate that Russia intends to use it for attacks beyond Ukraine, HUR said.
"The increased operational range of the drone due to the large fuel tank indicates that its area of application may extend beyond the territory of Ukraine. It was the Gerbera-2 with a warhead that was discovered in mid-September on the Baltic coast of Poland," HUR said in its analysis.
The drone also features a rear-facing camera designed to detect approaching Ukrainian drone interceptors, which Ukraine uses to defend against Russian attack drones.
Russia has sharply increased its use of drones in recent months, including jet-powered models capable of reaching speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour and flying at higher altitudes, making them harder for Ukrainian air defenses to intercept.
Yurii Ihnat, head of the Air Force's communications department, said on national television on Nov. 2 that Russian forces launched more than 4,000 jet-powered drones and 4,740 propeller-driven drones at Ukraine in October.
