Russia Equipped Drones for Poland Incursion with Extra Fuel Tanks

Russia Equipped Drones for Poland Incursion with Extra Fuel Tanks
Gerbera front fuel tank

Before being sent toward Poland, Russian forces equipped Gerbera drones with additional fuel tanks to extend their range, a Ukrainian analyst known as Polkovnik GSh (war_home) said.

In the standard configuration, the Gerbera carries a single fuel tank in its tail.

The drones that crashed in Poland had an extra tank installed in the nose. The fuel tanks are made of flexible multilayer polymer material. Such lightweight “soft tanks” fold easily, withstand vibrations and are widely used in drones.

Placement of the fuel tank in the Russian Gerbera drone that crashed in Ukraine. Photo credits: DIU

The Russian Defense Ministry alleged it did not intend to strike targets in Poland and claimed the drones were incapable of reaching the border. “The maximum flight range of the Russian UAVs used in this attack does not exceed 700 km,” the ministry said.

Flexible gasoline fuel tank of a Russian Gerbera drone that crashed in Ukraine. 2025. Photo credits: reibert.info

But according to the Ukrainian side, the additional fuel tanks enabled the drones to reach Poland via Belarus.

A Russian Gerbera drone in Poland. September 10, 2025. Photo by a reader of Defence24.pl

Gerbera is a Russian loitering munition made of polystyrene foam and described as a simplified version of the Iranian Shahed-136.

Top Photo:

An additional flexible fuel tank in a Russian Gerbera drone that crashed in Poland on September 10, 2025. Photo credits: @MJMarszalkowski

Source: MILITARNYI;