Flash warns of new Russian Gerbera drone tactic over Ukraine
Intelligence previously demonstrated the equipment of the Russian Gerbera drone (Photo: Main Intelligence Directorate)
Russian Gerbera drones fitted with additional fuel tanks have recently been observed flying over Ukraine, potentially extending their operational range, Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's defense minister, said on July 1.
A notable feature of the drones' new operating pattern is that they briefly enter the country's airspace, maneuver inside it and then return to Russian-controlled territory.
According to Beskrestnov, these modified Gerbera drones are launched without radio modems or video cameras. They maintain a stable flight altitude, meaning they do not always trigger air raid alerts.
He suggested the drones may instead be conducting electronic intelligence missions, collecting or transmitting reconnaissance data back to Russia.
For now, however, he stressed that this remains only a hypothesis.
"At this point, it's only an assumption. If someone shoots one down and recovers the wreckage, I ask that it be examined for any additional equipment," he wrote.
Russian drone modifications
On July 1, Serhii "Flash" also described another Russian drone variant known as the Geran Seeker, which Russian forces present as a version of the Shahed drone capable of independently searching for and striking targets without operator involvement.
The Defense Ministry adviser has previously said that one of Ukraine's key technological challenges on the battlefield is the lack of a mass-produced, scalable solution to effectively counter Russian guided aerial bombs.
Earlier, Flash told Suspilne that after the relay stations in Belarus were shut down, Russia would no longer be able to conduct real-time, remotely guided Shahed drone attacks on Kyiv and western Ukraine, as the move would significantly complicate the enemy's reconnaissance capabilities.
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