HUR Confirms Russia Upgraded Geran-2 Drones With Missiles to Target Ukrainian Jets

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has released details of a new modification of Russia’s Geran-2 attack drone equipped with an R-60 air-to-air missile. The information was published in the “Components in Weapons” section of the War&Sanctions portal.

According to HUR on December 15, Russia has adapted the outdated Soviet-era R-60 air-to-air missile for installation on Geran drones of the “E” series, aiming to target Ukrainian aircraft and helicopters involved in intercepting Russian UAVs. The missile, fitted with an APU-60-1MD aircraft launch rail, is mounted on a special bracket located on the upper front section of the drone’s fuselage.

HUR reports that the UAV is equipped with two network cameras—one in the nose and another behind the missile launch system. Video and control signals are transmitted via a Chinese Xingkay Tech XK-F358 mesh modem. Navigation is provided by a 12-channel jam-resistant Kometa module, enabling operation under active electronic warfare conditions.

The electronic payload also includes a Raspberry Pi 4 single-board microcomputer manufactured in the United Kingdom, a tracker, and two GSM modems for telemetry transmission. At the same time, the countries of origin for the electronic component base remain typical for Russian UAVs of this type: the United States, China, Switzerland, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

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War in Ukraine

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HUR says the likely missile employment concept involves transmitting images from the drone’s cameras to an operator, who issues a launch command if a Ukrainian aircraft or helicopter enters the engagement zone. After launch, the R-60’s infrared homing head independently locks onto the target.

The intelligence agency stressed that “the main goal of this new development is to create a threat to Ukrainian army and tactical aviation and to reduce the effectiveness of its efforts to intercept enemy UAVs.” As a result, the multi-role version of the Iranian Shahed-136 gains an additional function, and the experience of such use, HUR assesses, “is likely to be passed on to Iran as well.”

Earlier, a Ukrainian drone bomber operated by Marine Corps units destroyed a Russian 2S6 Tunguska self-propelled anti-aircraft gun-missile system.

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