Russia nearly finishes construction of massive jet drone base near Ukrainian border

Russia is building a large military base near the border with Ukraine designed to launch the newest types of jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). According to satellite imagery studied by Reuters, construction of this massive complex located in the Rostov region has been almost entirely completed in just six weeks.

Reports indicate that while the site was just an empty field on August 31, today an infrastructure with a total area equivalent to nearly 126 football fields has risen there.

The newest jet drones: "Geran-4" and "Geran-5"

Mike Monnik, founder of private intelligence analysis company DroneSec, evaluated the satellite photos and drew attention to the following key aspects:

• Special launch platforms: Eight separate launchers designed for jet drones are positioned in the western part of the complex;

• New generation devices: The base is specialized in operating and launching Russia's newest arsenal of "Geran-4" and "Geran-5" jet drones;

• Enormous capacity: According to expert conclusions, once fully operational, the base will provide the capability to launch up to 100 jet drones at targets in a single day.

It is noted that the complex could be handed over for full combat duty "within a matter of weeks".

Why jet drones specifically?

Over the past few months, Russia has begun using jet drones increasingly actively to strike targets on Ukrainian territory:

• High speed and range: Unlike conventional propeller-driven drones, these UAVs possess significantly higher flight speeds and the ability to cover long distances;

• Complex targets for air defense systems: Due to their jet speed, they are much more difficult to detect and shoot down using air defense systems and mobile fire groups.

The rapid construction of such a large-scale new base near the border indicates that the intensity of military operations in the region may further escalate.