Russia is rapidly expanding the Tsymbulova drone port, adding another 10 launchers for “Geran-5” jet-powered strike drones less than a month after the start of the facility’s expansion.
This is evidenced by new satellite imagery on the “Strategic Aviation of the rf” Telegram channel showing the training ground, where active construction of additional infrastructure has been recorded since April 22.
Currently, four new launch pad sites are being built near the existing Geran-5 launch positions.
In addition, six more new positions for additional launch systems are being prepared in the southern part of the facility.
Thus, in a relatively short period, Russia is increasing the capacity of this site by 10 new launchers, which could potentially significantly increase the intensity of simultaneous launches.
At the same time, at least eight new concrete structures are being built at the drone port, which will likely be used to store drones and related equipment.
Launchers for the Geran-3, 4 and 5 jet-powered UAVs have previously been observed at Tsymbulova. The length of a single such launcher reaches about 80 meters, which is roughly three times longer than standard launchers for conventional strike drones.
Currently, the Tsymbulova training ground and the area of temporarily occupied Donetsk remain the only known locations for launching such jet-powered drones.
Previous satellite imagery near the launch sites also captured a significant number of UAVs stored in the open, as well as passenger vehicles that Russian forces could use as mobile launch platforms.
The scale and pace of expansion of this facility indicate a systematic buildup of Russian infrastructure for massive strikes against Ukraine using jet-powered drones.
Such sites allow for the centralized storage, maintenance, and launch of large batches of attack UAVs in a short period of time.
Previously, Militarnyi examined this topic in detail in the article “The Long Evolution of ‘Shaheds.’ Part 2: From the R-60 to the ‘Geran-5’.”
