Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (DIU) has released detailed specifications of Russia’s upgraded Gerbera-2 drone, revealing changes to its range, payload, and onboard electronics.
The information, published on the War&Sanctions website, shows how the Gerbera has evolved from a low-cost decoy into a platform capable of reconnaissance and strike missions.
Extended Range and Upgraded Design
The Gerbera-2 has a 3-meter wingspan and a 2.6-meter-long fuselage. Its enlarged fuel tank holds 63 liters and is divided into separate compartments to maintain stability during flight.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the drone has a range of up to 1,200 km and an endurance of up to 10 hours. Its cruising speed is 180 km/h, while its maximum speed reaches 200 km/h.
The drone uses a two-cylinder, two-stroke engine. Ukrainian intelligence describes it as essentially half of the engine used in Russia’s larger Geran-2 attack UAV. Engine production has been localized at a facility in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone.
A Gerbera-2 carrying a warhead was reportedly recovered on Poland’s Baltic coast in mid-September 2026, highlighting the drone’s potential to operate beyond Ukrainian territory.
Warhead and Counter-Interceptor Cameras
Russia claims the Gerbera-2 can carry a payload of up to 25 kg. In the examined sample, Ukrainian investigators identified a 10 kg OFZBCh-10 high-explosive fragmentation incendiary warhead. Separate bags containing an additional incendiary mixture were also found.
The drone was equipped with a dual IP camera mounted above the fuel tank. The camera is intended to monitor threats approaching from above, including Ukrainian interceptor drones.
Other Gerbera-2 variants have been identified with forward-facing IP cameras and cameras mounted on three-axis stabilized gimbals.
Electronics and Foreign Components
The upgraded Gerbera-2 features a new flight controller and a mesh modem manufactured by China’s Shenzhen Sinosun Technology Co., Ltd.
Video processing is handled by a unit called Sosiska, built around a Chinese Coke Pi microcomputer. The drone also uses Russia’s Kometa-M12 navigation module, which provides resistance to jamming.
The module is manufactured by VNIIR-Progress and supports navigation using 12 channels.
As of November 2, 2026, Ukrainian investigators have identified 22 foreign-made components in the Gerbera-2. The origins of 20 components have been established:
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China: 8 components
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United States: 4 components
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Ireland: 3 components
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Switzerland: 3 components
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Taiwan: 1 component
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The Netherlands: 1 component
The origins of two components, an AIME1 memory chip and an IP camera, remain unknown.
The DIU’s findings provide details of the drone’s upgraded design, its electronic systems, and the foreign components identified in the examined samples. Ukrainian intelligence continues to document Russian military equipment and its supply chains through the War&Sanctions portal.
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