Russia installing up to 5 kg of warheads in foam decoy drones – photos

Russia has started equipping its Gerbera decoy drones with warheads weighing up to 5kg, according to military communications expert Serhii (Flash) Beskrestnov, as reported by Defence Express.

Beskrestnov published a warning on his Telegram channel, noting that the drone can be fitted with various types of warheads weighing up to 5kg.

He also shared a photo of a Gerbera drone equipped with a fragmentation warhead weighing over 2kg, installed in the drone's nose section.

Defence Express reported that the developers of the Gerbera drone demonstrated its potential for combat equipment during a presentation in July last year. Initially, the drone was also planned to be equipped with a camera and communication system.

Analysts pointed out that in its simpler configuration, the Gerbera can attack targets similarly to Shahed drones, using pre-programmed coordinates. Additionally, there is a risk that Russians may equip the warheads with self-destruct mechanisms triggered by time delays or other factors.

Due to this, independently examining the debris of such a drone can be dangerous. Since the Gerbera has simple and inexpensive electronics with low accuracy, Russians may use these drones for strikes on cities where precise coordinates are not crucial.

On July 31, 2024, it was reported that Russia began using Gerbera drones in attacks on Ukraine. The National Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation provided details about the characteristics of these drones. 

Almost every night, Russia uses dozens of decoy drones to distract Ukraine's air defense systems during their attacks.