On Monday, September 14, 2026, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on social media that the military had located and recovered a Russian military unmanned aerial vehicle from the Baltic Sea near the beach in Rusinowo, close to Jarosławiec.
Russian Gerbera combat drone decoys / Illustrative photo: Telegram
“Near the beach in Rusinowo, close to Jarosławiec, the military located and recovered a DRONE from the Baltic Sea. A preliminary inspection indicates that it is a military unmanned aerial vehicle of Russian origin. Services at the scene are carrying out activities related to securing the area and the recovered equipment.”
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
Jarosławiec and Rusinowo are villages located in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Sławno County, in the municipality of Postomino. They lie roughly halfway between Koszalin and Słupsk. Importantly, the Central Air Force Training Area in Ustka is located to the east, while the 44th Naval Aviation Base in Darłowo is to the west.
According to Wirtualna Polska, Deputy Minister of National Defence Cezary Tomczyk commented on the incident in the Sejm:
“Poland is currently, in many respects, a number-one target when it comes to hybrid attacks or surveillance. For example, when it comes to cyberattacks against our military networks, we rank among the top three countries in the world. This is how it will be. As long as the threat from Russia persists, we will be tested in various ways. Reconnaissance aircraft or fighter jets will appear, and we will intercept them over international waters in the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone. Drones will appear as well. Various kinds of threats may emerge, and we will counter them. We simply need to build this awareness and societal resilience.”
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Jacek Goryszewski, spokesman for the Armed Forces Operational Command, told TVN24 that the recovered drone was most likely a Gerbera-type combat drone decoy.
“Since July 30, we have not observed any violation of Polish airspace, so it should be assumed that the drone drifted in from international waters or from a more distant location. Activities are currently underway, and Military Police and explosive ordnance disposal teams are heading to the site. The drone was recovered from the water by the crew of a military hydrographic boat and is currently on the beach.”
21 Gerbera-type drones entered Poland on September 9 and 10, 2025, during a Russian drone and missile attack against targets in Ukraine.
The Gerbera, with a range of up to 600–900 km, is a Russian multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicle produced since 2024 at facilities in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Yelabuga, Tatarstan. The design is attributed to the N.F. Gastello Design Bureau in Tatarstan, although there are indications of Chinese industrial involvement, including Skywalker Technology Co. Ltd., which supplies complete airframes, and Mile Hao Xiang Technology Co. Ltd., which is responsible for the engines.
Depending on its role and configuration — strike, reconnaissance, or air defense decoy — the Gerbera can be equipped with a stabilized camera and MESH networking modem and can carry an explosive payload of up to 5 kg. The Gerbera has a wingspan of 2.5 m, a maximum takeoff weight of 18 kg, and a maximum speed of approximately 160 km/h.
‼️W rejonie plaży w miejscowości Rusinowo koło Jarosławca wojsko zlokalizowało i podjęło z morza Bałtyckiego DRONA. Wstępne oględziny wskazują, że to bezzałogowiec wojskowy pochodzący z Rosji.
Na miejscu służby realizują czynności związane z zabezpieczeniem miejsca zdarzenia i…— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) September 14, 2026
UPDATE
According to OSINT analyses, the recovered drone may be a new Gerbera variant, referred to as the Gerbera-2, featuring enlarged wings with a revised planform and a larger vertical tail.
The Polish military recovered a Russian drone from the Baltic Sea near Rusinowo, close to Jarosławiec on Poland’s northern coast.
The drone is a new version of a Russian Gerbera drone. It is significantly larger than the standard Gerbera. Photos 3–4 show a similar new Gerbera… pic.twitter.com/NxHLYgPfS0
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 14, 2026
MILMAG’s editorial team also warns against an AI-manipulated image circulating on social media in which Polish markings were added in place of the standard Russian markings beginning with ЫЫ followed by digits, characteristic of production at Alabuga. In the original photograph, the tactical number is 5+0.
UPDATE 2
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz:
“We are learning more and more about the drone recovered near Jarosławiec. I recommend exercising particular caution in comments and analyses. The photo shows the actual object. Increasing amounts of data indicate that the Russians probably lost a new Gerbera-type drone model.”
Coraz więcej wiemy o dronie przejętym koło Jarosławca. Zalecam wyjątkową ostrożność w komentarzach i analizach. Na zdjęciu właściwy obiekt. Coraz wiecej danych wskazuje, że Rosjanie prawdopodobnie utracili nowy model drona typu Gerbera. pic.twitter.com/EuSC6sTPuJ
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) September 14, 2026
UPDATE 3
Komunikat Żandarmerii Wojskowej z 16 września:
Statement by the Military Police dated September 16:
“I would like to inform you that on September 15, 2026, as a result of joint activities carried out by expert specialists from the Military Police Forensic Laboratory, the Neutralization Section of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group of the Military Police Special Unit, a team from the Police Independent Counter-Terrorism Subunits, soldiers of the Commandos Military Unit, and soldiers of the Military Police Department in Ustka, identification procedures were conducted on the UAV with regard to the presence of explosive materials.
As a result of these activities, using specialized equipment, components of the drone that could have posed a threat to human life or health were extracted, examined, and subsequently neutralized.
As the threat related to the possible presence of explosives had been eliminated, the UAV was recovered and secured for further laboratory examination.
Today, the Military Police, under the supervision of a prosecutor from the Military Affairs Division of the Szczecin Niebuszewo District Prosecutor’s Office, will conduct an inspection of the unmanned aircraft.”
Lt. Col. Dariusz Rozkosz
Spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Military Police
Informuję, że w dniu 15 września 2026 r. w wyniku wspólnych działań biegłych specjalistów Laboratorium Kryminalistycznego Żandarmerii Wojskowej, Sekcji Neutralizacji Grupy Pirotechnicznej Oddziału Specjalnego Żandarmerii Wojskowej, Grupy Samodzielnych Pododdziałów… pic.twitter.com/YwwCLuwWTs
— Żandarmeria Wojskowa (@Zandarmeria) September 16, 2026
