HUR Reveals New Russian Geran-2 “E” Drone Armed With Verba Air-Defense Missile and Thermobaric Warhead

Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) revealed on Sunday it had identified a new configuration of Russia’s Geran-2 attack drone that can carry both a short-range air-defense missile and a conventional warhead, according to an agency statement on January 12. 

The agency said its War&Sanctions portal published an interactive diagram and a breakdown of components for a Geran-2 “E” series drone fitted with a Verba man-portable air-defense system, describing it as part of Russian efforts to adapt drones to engage aerial targets after Ukraine’s Air Force and army aviation increased interceptions.

It said it had previously disclosed a Geran-2 variant using a Soviet-era R-60 air-to-air missile. 

Ukraine’s intelligence said the Verba-equipped version relies on real-time manual control by an operator, using a Chinese-made optical camera in the nose and a Chinese mesh modem for transmitting video and control commands.

An important difference from the earlier R-60 configuration was that the drone still carried a primary warhead—identified as a TBBCH-50M thermobaric warhead—allowing it to continue a strike mission after launching the missile, according to HUR.

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War in Ukraine

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The agency said the drone’s standard onboard set included for the first time use of a Murata-made SCH1633-D0I six-axis inertial module  that it said was introduced in late 2024 for civilian automotive systems.

Earlier, it was reported that Russian forces began fitting Shahed-type drones with a Verba MANPADS so an operator can remotely command a surface-to-air missile launch from the drone.

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