A virtually intact Geran-2, landed upright on the bottom, was discovered with a 9K333 Verba Man-Transportable Air Protection System (MANPADS) mounted on the highest.
A month after a Russian Geran-2 one-way assault (OWA) drone was discovered with a Soviet-era R-60 infrared (IR)-guided short-range Air-to-Air Missile (AAM), one other instance has now emerged with a shoulder-fired Man-Transportable Air Protection System(MANPADS) put in on high, in keeping with photographs emerged on Jan. 4, 2025.
Visuals of the almost intact drone, landed upright on the snow, with solely the propeller of its four-cylinder piston engine damaged, have been first shared on the Telegram channel of in style Ukrainian radio and digital warfare professional Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, earlier than they have been shared by different social media profiles.
In our earlier reporting on the Gerans – Russian reverse-engineered, closely improved and mass-produced derivatives of the Iranian Shahed-136 OWA UAV – we analyzed how future discoveries of such AAM-armed unmanned plane might point out whether or not this was a severe or an off-the-cuff try at threatening bigger Ukrainian manned plane.
And one other mesh network-enabled air-to-air variant of the Geran-2. This time with a MANPAD. pic.twitter.com/7MQDKCyoZG
— Fabian Hinz (@fab_hinz) January 4, 2026
Because it now seems, the Russians are concerted of their aim to disrupt Ukrainian counter-drone efforts. The presence of such crude UAVs with easy modifications may also have a psychological affect and make the anti-UAV measures extra cautious.
Geran-2 with MANPADS
The commonly accepted designation for the propeller variant of the Geran is the Geran-2, whereas the jet-powered one is usually known as the Geran-3. The one within the newest discovery is the Geran-2, primarily based on the damaged propeller and engine.
Russian jet-powered Shahed chased by STING interceptor drone. pic.twitter.com/aFC6nW9IN4
— Particular Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 5, 2026
The MANPADS in the meantime is the 9K333 Verba (NATO codename SA-29 Gizmo), developed by KB Mashinostroyeniya, as famous by the markings. The Verba has been in service since 2014 and it’s believed to exchange the older Eighties-era 9K38 Igla and the 9K338 Igla-S that entered service in 2002.
It’s not clear how this Geran-2 within the video was introduced down. Nonetheless, the right upright touchdown with little harm means that digital warfare could have been concerned in severing both the man-in-the-loop radio management sign or the SATNAV sign, or each.
Radio spectrum analyzers are closely utilized by either side in figuring out patterns in alerts throughout a number of frequencies and bands within the continuously escalating and evolving tactical Digital Intelligence (ELINT) sport.
Video of a Russian Shahed / Geran-2 OWA UAV outfitted with an R-60 air-to-air missile downed by the 412th Nemesis Brigade’s Darknode battalion with a Sting interceptor from @wilendhornets. pic.twitter.com/f6VE4uNmu2
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) December 1, 2025
A detailed up video of the launcher system on which the Verba MANPAD is fixed exhibits a reasonably subtle mount and electronics controlling the launcher tube’s cowl and set off. As one consumer famous, the set off and the launcher tube’s cowl are actuated through servomotors whereas management instructions and video from the digicam are transmitted to/from the operator through a MESH community.
The servomotors are clearly recognizable because the black and purple bins in proximity of the Verba. Cables are linked to them and taped on the drone, presumably masking the holes the place they’re linked inside.
The video doesn’t seize the entrance portion of the Geran-2 right here, to verify the presence of Electro-Optical (EO) ball turret or an embedded optical seeker within the nostril, seen on different examples, that may be used to cue the missile onto the goal. The Geran-2 would ideally must be behind the plane for line-of-sight concentrating on.
The Verba’s 9M333 missile has a tri-channel optical infrared seeker working within the ultraviolet, close to and mid-infrared wavelengths, powered by a solid-fuel rocket motor that takes it to a most distance of 6 km. It has a 1.5 kg directed vitality Excessive-Explosive (HE) warhead, triggered by a magnetic proximity fuse.
The Verba launcher may also be coupled with a night-vision optical system and Identification Pal or Foe (IFF) antenna for extra complicated, contested situations.
russian 9K333 Verba MANPADS within the Bakhmut route.Within the screenshot is clearly seen the 9M333 missile. Because it realizing this missile makes use of western parts (An influence converter produced by the Swiss firm Traco Energy). pic.twitter.com/XoPzF3PosH
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝕯𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝕯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔱△ 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇺🇲🇬🇷 (@TheDeadDistrict) November 1, 2023
Tactical disruptor
Serhii “Flash” stated this on his Telegram account concerning the management, operation and tactical process related to Verba MANPAD-armed Geran-2: “As we speak, we encountered a Shahed for the primary time, which is provided with a man-portable air protection system (MANPADS).”
“The Shahed is provided with a digicam and a radio modem. The launch of the missile is carried out by the Shahed’s pilot, who controls it from Russian territory,” he added. “I ask the pilots of the military aviation to pay attention to the emergence of a brand new risk. They need to keep away from approaching the Shahed on a head-on course and be extra cautious with those that are standing by.”
The warning to Ukrainian military aviation helicopters refers back to the nation utilizing door-mounted machine weapons from Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters to shoot down Shahed drones. Any shut proximity, not less than by a gaggle of Gerans being tackled by Mi-8s and Mi-24s, is severely dangerous for a power that’s low on frontline fighter and rotary wing airframes.
Footage of a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter door gunner capturing down a Russian Shahed assault drone with a M134 Minigun. pic.twitter.com/9vQVBdsVMI
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) November 12, 2025
It’s troublesome for helicopter gunners to shoot down a UAV from proper behind it, provided that the gun mount would possibly now enable turning the gun utterly parallel to the helicopter’s airframe to fireplace forward. Nonetheless, movies displaying engagement between a Mi-8 and Shaheds from door-mounted M134 miniguns and commonplace PK-type belt-fed machine weapons, present the helicopters flying alongside the drone, separated by a number of meters.
It’s not precisely clear how one can anticipate the IR looking for missile to be optically cued to the goal on this non-line of sight trajectory, however placing a manned plane in danger, particularly if a gaggle of Gerans get their missiles off, is an ample uneven risk. This has now presumably spurred a large revision of set counter-drone tools and procedures.
Over western Ukraine, a Ukrainian Military Aviation Mi-8 door gunner downs a Russian Shahed-136 assault drone together with his PK machine gun. pic.twitter.com/AUUX3FaZ6I
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 25, 2024
Management and operation
The point out of MESH networks to function the Gerans through man-in-the-loop management has been round for some time. Russian Gerans have been discovered with Chinese language-made business off-the-shelf mobile and MESH community modems since final yr.
A more in-depth have a look at the Chinese language-sourced radio mesh modems that together with cameras are utilized in Russian “Geran-2” (Shahed) strike UAVs and “Gerbera” reconnaissance UAVs.A radio community might be established main again to an operator in Russia who immediately controls the UAV. pic.twitter.com/CYrhHjnrUR
— Roy🇨🇦 (@GrandpaRoy2) December 14, 2025
These enable receiving alerts from mobile and different navy radio community nodes, presumably by different sign relay and repeater antennas, mounted on different drones and the bottom, that join the operator to the drone.
This Russian “Geran-2” (Shahed) has a brand new antenna, apparently for navigation utilizing radio beacons.Floor-based VHF omnidirectional azimuth radio beacons (VOF) broadcast a reference sign within the 108–118 MHz vary, whereas encoding azimuth bearing in a rotating variable sign.1/ pic.twitter.com/z6BVhziJAo
— Roy🇨🇦 (@GrandpaRoy2) January 4, 2026
‘Roy’, one other Ukraine struggle analyst who has adopted the evolution of Geran drones, additionally shared on Jan. 4, 2026, a screengrab of an interception from a Sting counter-drone UAV, displaying a Geran-2 with a brand new antenna that used radio beacons for navigation. This replaces the normal SATNAV alerts that make the most of Russian GLONASS and the U.S. GPS satellites.
