In a major deep-strike operation, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces destroyed russian storage and launch facility for the Shahed kamikaze drones in temporarily occupied Donetsk on the evening of November 5. The target was located within the territory of the former Donetsk International Airport.
Ukrainian drones successfully struck the site where russian forces stored and prepared the Shahed-131/136 drones for operational use. The precision strike triggered a powerful explosion followed by secondary detonations, indicating the destruction of a significant stockpile of munitions and equipment. Numerous videos recorded by local residents captured the moment of the blast, with flames and shockwaves visible across several districts of Donetsk.
Read more: Ukrainian Partisans Spot Strategic Oil Depot in russia's Oryol Region Supplying Troops Near Kharkiv and Kursk
According to the SOF, over 90 percent of Ukrainian drones launched in the operation successfully reached their intended targets. Such a high hit rate underscores the growing effectiveness and reliability of Ukraine's domestically developed strike drones, even against heavily defended targets in temporarily occupied territory.
The strike was part of a coordinated effort involving multiple Ukrainian branches, the Special Operations Forces, the Unmanned Systems Forces, and the Rocket and Artillery Forces. This level of inter-service coordination reflects Ukraine's evolving tactics, combining intelligence, drone warfare, and precision targeting to disrupt russian logistics and strike systems far behind the front line.
The destroyed facility reportedly served as a major logistics point for the Shahed drone program in the east Ukraine. By eliminating such nodes, Ukrainian forces aim to slow russia's ability to conduct sustained drone and missile attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure. Each destroyed stockpile not only reduces immediate threats but also forces russia to relocate critical assets farther from the front, stretching supply chains and delaying strike operations.
As Defense Express previously reported, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence has revealed a detailed three-dimensional model of russia's Orion unmanned aerial vehicle, along with information identifying 43 enterprises involved in its production. The data were published in the War & Sanctions portal, as part of the ongoing effort to trace and disrupt russia's military-industrial supply chains.
Read more: Ukraine's Intelligence Maps russia's Orion Drone and Its 43-Company Supply Chain
