Instead of an airfield — a drone port: Russia is preparing a new base for strikes on Ukraine — OSINT
The facility near Millerovo may be intended for jet-powered “Geran-5” drones
Near Millerovo in Russia, a new facility for launching attack drones is being built. As of October 12, its first section was nearing completion, according to researchers from the OSINT project “Absolutely Reliable Source”, who assessed the construction progress using satellite images.
As recently as early September, the site was an empty field. Analysts have drawn attention to the rapid pace of work on the new “Millerovo” drone port.
According to their observations, the facility includes:
- 8 launch pad sites;
- 32 positions where drones can be prepared for launch.
A satellite image from the date in question also shows signs of drones being unloaded in one section of the facility.
The researchers believe the site is intended for “Geran-5” jet-powered drones. In their view, construction may have been accelerated to expand Russian forces’ capacity to launch massive strikes on Ukraine following attacks on Kyiv in September.
The analysis authors also noted similarities between the construction features and those of another Russian facility known as “Tsimbulov.” They believe that destroying such facilities with conventional kamikaze drones could be difficult, and that effectively striking them would require more powerful long-range weapons.
Overall, analysts view the new site as part of Russia’s continuing expansion of infrastructure for launching attack drones at Ukrainian territory, including new jet-powered models. At the same time, conclusions about the facility’s purpose and the presence of this particular drone model there are based on satellite imagery and the OSINT researchers’ assessments.
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