Ukrainian military channels have published an image of a Russian Geran attack drone fitted with an unidentified device on its nose, raising questions about another possible upgrade to the unmanned aircraft.

The photograph is of insufficient quality to establish the equipment’s purpose. However, its position has prompted speculation that it could be part of a new precision targeting system.

Other possibilities include an electronic warfare countermeasure, an additional communications module or a redesigned warhead fuze. None of these explanations has been confirmed.

The discovery follows earlier reports of an unusual modification to Russian Geran drones that initially puzzled Ukrainian observers.

Those aircraft were fitted with metal tubes protruding from their noses at right angles to the fuselage. The attachments were nicknamed whiskers because of their distinctive appearance.

Sergey Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian drone specialist known as Flash and an adviser to Vladimir Zelensky’s office, subsequently explained that the tubes function as mechanical impact fuzes.

Each tube contains a rod that closes an electrical circuit when it strikes an obstacle, triggering the warhead. The mechanism does not require sophisticated sensors or electronic detection systems.

The design allows the explosive charge to detonate even when the drone does not strike its intended target directly, provided the protruding mechanism makes contact with an obstacle.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian military-focused online community has shared a photograph of another unusual unmanned aircraft, believed to have been intercepted using electronic warfare equipment.

Unlike the Geran, this smaller drone features a circular wing that gives it an appearance resembling a UFO.

The unconventional wing configuration could affect the aircraft’s aerodynamics, maneuverability and flight performance.

The drone’s exact purpose and technical specifications remain unknown.