The new Russian drone is used not only for strikes on ground targets but also for hunting Ukrainian aircraft and helicopters. Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reports indicate that the new Geran modification includes components from the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and Taiwan.

For the production of this drone, Russia used a combination of Soviet-era weaponry and modern Western electronics. The technology may potentially be transferred to Iran and other Russian allies.

This is direct evidence of systemic failures in export controls and sanctions, the consequences of which could extend far beyond the war in Ukraine.

Geran received missiles and began hunting in the sky

To expand combat capabilities, the Russians adapted the old Soviet R-60 air-to-air missile for launch from the drone. The missile, equipped with the APU-60-1MD aviation launcher, is mounted on a special bracket on the upper front part of the Geran fuselage.

The UAV is equipped with two cameras, one in the nose and another behind the launcher. Video and control commands are transmitted through a Chinese mesh modem, Xingkay Tech XK-F358, allowing the operator to remotely manage the combat situation.

Western electronics in Russian weaponry

Navigation and inertial units remain typical for other Geran drones, but in electronic warfare (EW) conditions, a 12-channel jamming-resistant “Kometa” module is used.

The electronics also include:

• a single-board Raspberry Pi 4 computer (the UK);
• a tracker;
• two GSM modems for telemetry transmission.

The likely operational principle involves sending an image to the operator, who commands missile launch if an aircraft or helicopter enters the target zone. The R-60 missile’s infrared seeker then independently locks onto the target.

“Another probable method involves pre-locking the target with the missile’s seeker and transmitting the information to the operator, who then issues the launch command,” intelligence noted.

Experience for Iran and a new asymmetric threat

Ukrainian military intelligence emphasizes that the primary goal of this development is to create a threat to the Ukrainian army and tactical aviation, thereby reducing the effectiveness of intercepting enemy UAVs.

Consequently, the multi-purpose version of the Iranian Shahed-136 gains a new role, and the operational experience will likely be shared with Iran and other Russian partners.

This case demonstrates a dangerous trend: authoritarian regimes are combining outdated arsenals with modern electronics, creating asymmetric threats to aviation and global security.

Fighting the “Shaheds” is increasingly not only a Ukrainian task but part of a broader confrontation with a network of authoritarian regimes testing the future of warfare today.

On 1 December, drones covered over 600 km through south of Russia to reach their strategic targets. One group reached Dagestan and attacked the workshops of the Dagdiesel shipbuilding plant in Kaspiysk. The port housing Russian military ships was also under threat, per Focus. 

Successful strikes on such facilities directly affect Russia’s ability to conduct naval operations.

Shadows of the past of the factory path revealed the secrets of Soviet torpedoes

Founded in 1932, Dagdiesel is one of Dagestan’s largest industrial enterprises. It specializes in the production of underwater weapons, diesel engines, pumps, and other equipment for the Russian Navy, Militarnyi reports.

 During the Soviet period, the plant was a leading manufacturer of torpedoes for the USSR and is now part of the Marine Underwater Weapons, Gidropribor group.

In summer 2018, the plant signed a $72 million contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense to produce 73 UET-1 torpedoes. In April 2025, the roof of the eighth workshop, where naval weapons, including steam-gas torpedoes, were tested, partially collapsed.

Shadows of the unknown in the sky left the city without answers

Sergey Melikov, Dagestan’s head, claimed the drones over Kaspiysk were allegedly shot down. However, no exact data on the struck targets is available, Astra reports. 

According to local health authorities, a 12-year-old girl was lightly injured in the chest and hospitalized.

Analysis by the Astra Telegram channel showed the drone strike also caused window damage in residential buildings and vehicles in parking lots.