The russian invasion forces in Ukraine are working on developing infrastructure for their operations with Shahed-136/131 loitering munitions and Gerbera decoy drones on the territory of the temporarily occupied Donetsk airport, eastern Ukraine.
Specialists from the CyberBoroshno OSINT community concluded it after analyzing satellite images of the area: these efforts include the construction of closed sites for storing drones, control nodes, decoy positions, air surveillance posts, equipping the warheads unloading site, and preparation of the runway.
Read more: Ukrainian Intelligence Reveals: russia to Build 40,000 Shahed Drones and 24,000 Decoys in 2025
According to the source, russians will use remotely controlled drones there, possibly versatile that can be utilized in ways other than suicide attack UAVs. The details of their findings are not disclosed yet — only noted that russians will probably use this facility primarily for operations within the Donetsk region.
Defense Express reminds that the news appears against the background of other developments related to Shahed drones. Recent reports indicate that russia armed the GROM Kaskad brigade with Shahed-type drones. This unit is notable for taking up missions on the frontline, in contrast to the usual application of Shaheds from deep rear positions (within russian borders or in Crimea) for long-range strikes into Ukraine.
With the commissioning of the new drone takeoff site, the russian forces may seek to expand the practice of launching Shaheds, Gerberas, and their derivatives from near-front locations.
A deeper study of russian Shahed launch locations is provided by another OSINT group, the Dnipro Osint channel with Garbuz:
Where Are the Russians Launching Their Shaheds From? byu/DniproOsint inUkraineWarVideoReport
For example, one of the largest droneports in the Oryol region, located 175 km from the border with Ukraine, has 8 stationary launchers and roads for launches from wheeled transport. Overall, this capacity allows russians to simultaneously launch up to 14 drones, and more than a hundred units in one wave.
There are 15 bunker warehouses on the site, one of which was previously destroyed by Storm Shadow missiles, and it is estimated that russians may be storing up to 3,000 warheads for Shaheds.
In addition, we would like to recall that on the night of August 1–2, 2025, drones of the Security Service of Ukraine hit the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield in the Krasnodar Territory, which is also used for Shahed launches. According to the SSU, a fire was recorded in the target area as a result of this attack.
Read more: 900 russian Companies and $3B Fuel Shahed Drone Production
