Russia’s Bigger Gerbera Drone Can Strike Beyond Ukraine

Russia has begun deploying an enlarged Gerbera drone with a range of up to 1,200 kilometers (745 miles), Ukraine’s military intelligence said on Monday, Nov. 2, warning that the weapon’s reach could extend beyond Ukraine.In a statement, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) published its findings after examining a Gerbera-2, alongside a 3D model and component data on its War & Sanctions portal.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The aircraft can carry a warhead weighing up to 25 kilograms (55 pounds), according to Russian specifications cited by HUR. The example Ukrainian specialists inspected carried a smaller, 10-kilogram (22-pound) high-explosive fragmentation and incendiary warhead, plus separate bags of incendiary mixture.“It was specifically a Gerbera-2 with a warhead that was found in mid-September on Poland’s Baltic coast,” HUR said.Bigger fuel tank extends the drone’s reachThe new drone has a wingspan of 3 meters (9.8 feet) and a fuselage measuring 2.6 meters (8.5 feet).Its 63-liter (16.6-gallon) fuel tank is divided into compartments to keep the aircraft stable during maneuvers. HUR’s technical database lists a flight endurance of 10 hours, a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph), and a cruising speed of up to 180 kilometers per hour (112 mph).The drone uses a two-cylinder, two-stroke engine that HUR described as effectively half the engine of the Geran-2, whose engine production Russia has localized in Alabuga. Other Topics of Interest US Reportedly Seeks to Restore Russian Gas Supplies to Europe Through Ukraine Washington believes soaring energy prices and supply shortages could weaken European resistance to Russian gas, despite the EU’s plans to phase out imports. The findings show further changes to a platform originally developed as a relatively cheap decoy to overload Ukrainian air defenses. Earlier reconnaissance and attack versions were comparatively simple; their equipment has increasingly resembled that of the more expensive Geran family, HUR said.Cameras designed to spot interceptorsThe examined Gerbera-2 had a dual IP camera mounted above its fuel tank to detect interceptor drones, according to HUR. Other versions have forward-facing cameras or cameras on three-axis stabilized mounts.Its electronics include an updated flight controller, a 12-channel Kometa navigation module, a Chinese-made mesh modem and a video-processing unit built around a Coke Pi microcomputer.HUR identified eight components from Chinese manufacturers and four from US manufacturers. Its announcement did not specify how those parts reached Russia.Foreign electronics have featured in earlier Gerberas. A November 2024 examination identified Chinese cameras, modems and engines, alongside chips made by Western companies, in aircraft built largely from plywood and foam.Mesh communications were also identified on earlier Gerberas before appearing on Russian Shahed/Geran-2 drones. Analysis of wreckage in 2025 showed Russia fitting those larger aircraft with cameras and modems, allowing more direct control as Moscow continued adapting its long-range drone fleet.From decoy to attack droneRussia’s conversion of the Gerbera into an armed platform predates the latest enlargement.In February 2025, Ukrainian military technology specialist Serhii Beskrestnov, known as “Flash,” documented a Gerbera fitted with a 2.5-kilogram warhead (5.5 pounds). He said versions of the drone could carry warheads weighing up to 5 kilograms (11 pounds).By February 2026, Beskrestnov had identified another adaptation: a Gerbera configured as a carrier for an FPV drone. He said the system could have been intended for either attack or reconnaissance and cautioned that the scale of its future use remained unclear.Carrying a smaller drone could extend its reach by preserving its battery during transit, although that modification was separate from the Gerbera-2 now described by HUR.Gerbera incidents have also occurred outside Ukraine. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said NATO aircraft shot down an armed Gerbera that entered Lithuania from Belarus on Sept. 15. Lithuanian authorities said it was likely intended for Ukraine, while the circumstances of its flight remained under investigation. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.