Russia built 10 secret drone bases within range of NATO

Russia has established at least 10 new or upgraded drone launch facilities along its borders with Ukraine and Belarus, equipped with 59 newly constructed launch rails capable of deploying Moscow's most advanced long-range attack drones, according to an investigation published by The Telegraph on August 16.telegraph

New Bases Place Warsaw Within Range

Using leaked documents and satellite imagery, journalists identified mechanical launch rails — guide tracks that allow fixed-wing drones to take off without a runway — spread across western Russia. About 20 of the rails are of extended length, indicating they are designed to launch Russia's newest jet-powered drone variants, the Geran-4 and Geran-5, which can reach targets nearly 620 miles away.turkiyetoday+1

The newer variants fly fast enough to evade air defense systems while carrying a 90-kilogram warhead, according to leaked Ukrainian government documents. From the identified bases, these drones could strike Warsaw, while the Shatalovo base in Russia's Smolensk region places the Baltic capitals of Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn within range.pravda+1

Seven of the 10 identified sites have already been used in recent bombardments of Kyiv. Overnight into August 17, Ukraine's General Staff reported that Russia attacked with 128 Shahed-type strike drones, including jet-powered variants, launched from the direction of Kursk, Oryol, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and occupied Donetsk. Ukrainian forces shot down or suppressed 106 hostile drones.turkiyetoday

Scale of the Buildup

One base alone has storage capacity for more than 1,000 drones, and additional launch rails remain under construction at several sites. The facilities are supplied by Russian drone manufacturers, including the Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan, a production campus estimated to produce 6,000 units per year.pravda+2

Mike Monnik, chief executive of DroneSec, which analyzed the satellite imagery, said Russia has "significantly expanded" its drone network "to attack Ukraine and to hold NATO states at risk of such attacks".telegraph

"This launch site expansion shows how Russia has expanded its ability to launch greater numbers of drones while at the same time using technology to make the types of drones used more difficult to intercept," Monnik said.turkiyetoday+1

NATO Response and Intelligence Warnings

The Telegraph reported there is no suggestion Russia is planning an imminent attack on NATO territory. However, European and US intelligence officials believe Moscow is considering armed provocations against Poland, including strikes on critical infrastructure or false-flag operations blamed on Ukraine.firstpost+2

A NATO official told The Telegraph the alliance is "ready to defend every inch of allied territory" and is "rapidly expanding our ability to produce, operate and neutralise drones at scale."telegraph

Ukraine's military intelligence agency has also warned that Russia is equipping Geran drones with air-to-air missiles to target Ukrainian aircraft involved in intercepting aerial attacks over major cities.pravda