A Herbera with a transponder was shot down in Kyiv: an expert warns of the possible presence of a Russian transmitter near the capital

In Kyiv, several Russian Gerber drones with a non-standard configuration - cameras on a hanger, a CRPA antenna and a radio modem - were shot down. This was brought to the attention of a well-known Ukrainian radio technology expert, Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov, who stated that a radio repeater for Russian UAVs was likely to be located near the capital.

"This configuration of Gerber drones is not new to us - they have been exploring frontline areas for a long time. But the appearance of such drones in Kyiv means that there is a radio repeater somewhere nearby. Transmitting video 300 kilometres to Russia is unrealistic, and even 100 kilometres to Belarus is unlikely at this range," the expert wrote on his Facebook page.

According to Beskrestnov, building a MESH chain of several UAV repeaters is theoretically possible, but it is too risky and complicated to work effectively. Therefore, the main option is to have a stationary or mobile transmitter near Kyiv.

The expert called on the relevant services to take this situation under control, as the Russians can use such solutions to improve reconnaissance and control of UAVs far beyond line of sight.

About Gerbera

The Gerbera is a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that has been actively used in the war against Ukraine since the summer of 2024. The drone was developed as a cheaper and technologically simplified alternative to the Iranian Shahed-136, but has different objectives and design. The body of the Gerbera is made of foam and the internal compartment is made of plywood, making it lightweight, invisible to radar and inexpensive to manufacture. It is about 2 m long, has a wingspan of 2.5 m and weighs 10-18 kg. The range without a payload is up to 300 km, according to other sources - up to 600 km. The maximum speed is 160 km/h and the altitude is up to 3000 m.

"The Gerbera can act as a reconnaissance drone, a kamikaze attack drone, a decoy target to overload air defences or a swarm element. A medium-quality TV camera is used for guidance, and the drone is controlled manually by the operator, as in FPV drones. The drone is equipped with a 4G modem for real-time video transmission via mobile networks. Due to its simple design and low price (about $10,000), the Gerbera allows Russians to attack targets en masse, distract air defences and make it difficult to identify real attack drones.

Source: Facebook