A Russian-made Gerbera-2 drone recovered off Poland's Baltic coast was found to contain a fragmentation warhead with a detonator and was defused by army special forces on the beach. The disarmed warhead and drone parts were sent to a military facility for forensic examination. Poland and Lithuania are jointly investigating possible links to a separate incident in which a combat drone with explosives was shot down over Lithuania. Officials say the drone may have overflown Lithuania and passed near Kaliningrad before ending up over the Baltic.
Russian Gerbera-2 Drone Recovered Off Poland's Baltic Coast Carried Fragmentation Warhead
FILE PHOTO - Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz holds a press conference with his German counterpart, Pistorius (not pictured). (is associated with: «Poland: Russian drone found off Baltic coast had fragmentation warhead») Kay Nietfeld/dpa
A Russian-made Gerbera-2 drone recovered off Poland's Baltic coast earlier this week was found to contain a fragmentation warhead fitted with a detonator, prosecutors said.
The uncrewed aerial vehicle was discovered on Monday near the seaside resort of Rusinowo in north-west Poland, a spokesman for the investigating prosecutor's office told the PAP news agency on Wednesday.
On-site response: Polish army special forces removed the warhead from the drone and defused it on the beach to eliminate any immediate danger to civilians. The disarmed device and remaining parts of the drone were transported to a military facility for detailed forensic and technical examination.
Investigation and regional context
Prosecutors have identified the device as a Russian-made Gerbera-2. Authorities in Warsaw are examining whether the recovery is linked to a separate incident in neighbouring Lithuania, where a combat drone carrying explosives was shot down on Tuesday night, the Lithuanian Defence Ministry said.
Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the drone found near Rusinowo may have overflown Lithuania and crossed into the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad before continuing out over the Baltic Sea. Poland and Lithuania are conducting a joint investigation into the two events.
Broader security implications
Poland, an EU and NATO member, is a key political and military ally of Ukraine and views Moscow as a significant security threat amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The discovery follows recent cross-border incidents that have heightened alarm in Warsaw, including a reported Russian drone strike on a train travelling from Kyiv to the Polish border the previous weekend.
What investigators will focus on: the origin and flight path of the drone, whether it is connected to the Lithuanian incident, the technical composition of the warhead and detonator, and any links to broader operational patterns targeting the region.
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