Russia prepares Donetsk airport for Shahed attacks on Ukraine - ISW
Russia expands drone infrastructure in occupied territories: Donetsk airport is being prepared for Shahedi attacks.
The Russian army is intensifying the use of temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine for air strikes. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), its immediate plans include organising launching sites for kamikaze drones closer to the front line, in particular on the territory of the destroyed Donetsk airport.
What is known about the preparations in Donetsk
According to OSINT group CyberBoroshno, which released fresh satellite images of the airport territory, the occupiers have started dismantling old fortifications and cleared part of the runway. The footage also shows construction work in the car park, presumably creating hangars and shelters for drones.
ISW notes that Russia could use this infrastructure to launch Shahed strike UAVs, Gerber-type imitators and possibly more advanced Geran-3 jet drones.
Experts also record the construction of closed warehouses near the destroyed terminal, probably for storing warheads, manually operating drones and organising maintenance areas. Such actions indicate systemic preparations for large-scale drone attacks.
Why it's dangerous
ISW analysts estimate that moving launch sites closer to the line of contact reduces the time it takes Ukrainian air defence systems to respond. This increases the effectiveness of attacks and makes it more difficult to intercept drones.
The report emphasises that further expansion of the occupation and the use of Ukrainian territories for drone launches poses a threat not only to Ukraine but also to NATO countries.
If Russia continues to use the occupied territories as springboards for long-range UAVs, it will become a challenge for Western states as well," the report said.
What the Ukrainian side is saying
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov confirmed on the air of a national telethon that the Russian army is already implementing solutions that allow Shaheds to bypass Ukrainian interceptor drones. According to him, the enemy is actively testing new technologies and preparing to move to more advanced jet drones.
Fedorov emphasised that Ukraine is already working to counter these threats, but the pace of technical evolution in drone warfare requires an immediate response.