In six weeks, Russia has almost completed the construction of a large new base for launching jet-powered drones near the border with Ukraine.
This is indicated by defence experts’ assessments and analysis of satellite images, Reuters reports.
The agency notes that satellite images provided by the commercial companies Planet Labs and Airbus show that an area in Russia’s south-western Rostov region, which on 31 August was an empty field, had by Wednesday turned into a large complex covering roughly 126 football pitches.
The construction coincided with a significant increase in Russia’s use of jet-powered attack drones against Ukraine.
Mike Monnick, founder and chief executive of the private intelligence company DroneSec, said that, judging by the satellite images, the new facility could be used to launch the Geran-4 and Geran-5 models — Russia’s newest types of jet-powered drones.
He said eight pads with launch rails designed to fire such drones can be seen on the western edge of the complex. They will add to Russia’s existing network of at least 11 fixed sites used for drone attacks on Ukraine.
In Monnick’s view, the facility looks almost complete, and it is likely only a few weeks away from becoming fully operational, if not less.
The expert noted that the combination of industrial-scale production of jet-powered drones, their growing technological sophistication, and the relative lack of comprehensive counter-drone capabilities in many NATO countries poses a serious challenge for the West.
The new facility could potentially enable the launch of 100 or more jet-powered drones within 24 hours. At the same time, Russia typically launches them in small groups throughout the day. Actual capacity will also depend on available stockpiles and assigned tasks.
Rob Jordan, Director of Programmes at the London-based think tank RUSI, said the concrete pads and two likely launch rails visible in the images match the structures used to launch Russian Geran-type drones.
Military analysts say Russia has shifted drone production towards jet-powered models because Ukraine finds it difficult to counter them. According to the Ukrainian military, over the three summer months Russia increased its use of jet-powered drones by about sixfold. Kyiv and the surrounding region were hit most intensively.
- Ukraine’s Defence Forces have systematically moved from a series of strikes on oil refineries and airfields to high-precision operations targeting the logistics chain of UAV production, storage and launch. Read more about this in the LB.ua article "From “Tsymbulove” to Donetsk: The Defence Forces Shifted the Focus of Strikes from Russian Oil Refineries to “Drone Ports”".