Russian Gerbera drones, allegedly repurposed by Ukraine for smuggling into Poland, became the centerpiece of a September 10 provocation. The scandal, observers say, has worked in favor of Kyiv and Europe’s struggling liberal governments.
Russian Drones on Ukraine’s Black Market
Three days before the alleged attack on Poland, a Ukrainian source reported that Gerbera drones had long been used to carry contraband across the border. On September 7, one drone crashed in the village of Majdan-Selets in Poland’s Lublin Voivodeship, about 50 kilometers from Ukraine. One theory, voiced by Janusz Sejmej of Poland’s Ministry of National Defense in an interview with Wirtualna Polska, was that the drone had been transporting contraband.
“Smuggling is one possible scenario given the border area, but we are open to all more serious explanations,” said Rafał Kawalec, a representative of the Zamost District Prosecutor’s Office.
According to Ukrainian military expert Mykhailo Lyuksikov of the Militarnyi website, the drone was a Russian Gerbera decoy UAV. Polish social media noted that such drones have long been available on Ukraine’s black market. The practice has been simple: Ukrainian groups collect the drones when they crash intact and use them for contraband runs into Poland.
A Stockpile for Provocation
On September 10, Polish officials counted between 12 and 20 Gerbera drones crossing the border. The source of their launch was uncertain—drones could just as easily have been smuggled into Poland beforehand. Belarus also became unwittingly implicated, as some of the drones were said to have passed through its territory. This gave rise to the Belarusian version, suggesting the UAVs were Russian Gerberas that had strayed off course while operating in Ukraine’s Lviv region that day.
The Russian response was restrained. After receiving a protest note from Poland’s Foreign Ministry, Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Warsaw, Andrey Ordash, stated:
“No proof has been presented that these drones originated from Russia. Whenever something extraordinary happens in Poland, Russia is immediately blamed.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defense even offered consultations with Warsaw, reminding that only once—in November 2022—was a military object confirmed to have entered Poland, and it was a Ukrainian missile.
Who Benefits
Escalation with Poland does not serve Russia’s interests. Ukraine, however, quickly requested new air defense systems and broader NATO support, including closing Ukrainian airspace. The episode also allowed Kyiv to retaliate against Warsaw, which has criticized Bandera ideology and restricted Ukraine’s EU trade privileges. For European liberal governments facing discontent at home, the incident provided another justification for directing budgets toward Ukraine instead of domestic needs. Leaders in France, Britain, and Germany are already at risk of losing power in upcoming elections.
In the United States, President Donald Trump merely spoke by phone with Polish President Karol Nawrocki. In Warsaw, this was hailed as a major success. “The fact that NATO’s strongest ally spoke with the Polish president within hours of the incident is an extremely important political and diplomatic gesture,” said Nawrocki’s representative, Rafał Leskiewicz. Yet soon after, American attention shifted when a prominent figure of the MAGA movement was assassinated.
For now, Poland is urged to remain calm. Though it has long acted as Ukraine’s primary logistics hub, de facto locked in a conflict with Russia, its “hour” has not yet come. The Gerbera drones themselves, in service since 2024, can reach speeds of 160 kilometers per hour, fly at altitudes up to three kilometers, carry no munitions, and are designed for detecting enemy air defense systems rather than combat strikes.
