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P1-SUN Interceptors Destroy Russian Gerberas Carrying FPV Drones for the First Time
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![Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko]( "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
Ukrainian P1-SUN interceptors have successfully downed Russian Gerbera drones equipped with FPV drones on board for the first time.
The operation was carried out by crews from the Ukrainian Land Forces, including the "Voron" team of the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade and a unit from the 302nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, according to SkyFall on May 8.
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The video shows FPV devices with their distinct X-shaped frames and propellers attached to the top of the carrier drones.
According to SkyFall, Ukrainian military personnel identified and destroyed five Russian drones within a 24-hour period. Previously, Gerbera drones were mainly used as inexpensive decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses or as reconnaissance tools.
In early 2026, Serhii Beskrestnov, also known as “Flash” and an advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, reported a new modification of these drones that functions as an FPV carrier.
Russian forces are attempting to extend the operational range of FPV systems by transporting them to attack zones using these aerial carriers.
The P1-SUN is a Ukrainian-made interceptor drone produced by SkyFall. It is designed to strike Shahed drones and other aerial targets. The company states the interceptor can reach speeds of 310 kilometers per hour and operate at altitudes of up to 9,000 meters.
It has a functional range of up to 33 kilometers from its launch site. Certain versions of the P1-SUN are equipped with thermal imaging cameras and automated guidance systems to help operators track and destroy targets more effectively.
Russian forces used Gerbera-type drones to drop armed FPV munitions over Ukrainian border regions, with explosive payloads recovered intact dozens of kilometers behind the front line.
One such drone was discovered on the roof of a multistory residential building, while another identical device was recovered on a city street. This development marked an escalation of a tactic first documented in early February 2026, when the initial recovery of Gerbera wreckage revealed a mounting system designed to carry an FPV drone.
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-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
-29a1a43aba23f9bb779a1ac8b98d2121.jpeg "Photo of Illia Kabachynskyi")
-e99e7a3d5a4f6128bcd598e76c2f1974.png "A Russian Iranian-designed Shahed drone spotted flying above a town of Călărași in central Moldova. (Source: open source)")
