Russia has built an enormous 500-drone air base to attack Ukraine, investigators reveal

According to online open source information investigators, the Russian military has created an enormous suicide drone air base.

As if in a James Bond movie, the Russian military has established a standalone drone air base near the village of Tsymbulova in the Oryol Oblast, approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the pre-war Ukrainian border.

According to the OSINT communities Strategic Aviation of Russia and SZ, the drone airbase covers almost two square miles and includes as many as 113 drone garages and 15 hangars. The two OSINT communities analyzed commercial high-resolution satellite imagery from early Novembver to reveal what is likely the Russian military’s largest drone airbase. The satellite imagery also shows eight fixed launch platforms for the unmanned aerial systems to take off, a 1.5-mile runway, as well as maintenance and pre-launch preparation facilities. According to the OSINT analysts, the drone airbase can host over 500 unmanned aerial systems at the same time.

Although the Russian military has established air defense positions around the drone airbase, the location presents a lucrative target for the Ukrainian forces. The Ukrainian military and intelligence services have repeatedly shown that they have the capability to strike against high-value targets deep inside Russia. For example, this past summer, Ukrainian commandos and intelligence officers conducted an impressive multi-target operation against the Russian Aerospace Forces’ strategic bomber fleet, destroying several large bombers.

Further, on November 5, Ukrainian commandos carried out a precision strike against a major Russian drone facility in Donetsk City, the occupied capital of the Donetsk Oblast. The strike destroyed over 1,000 Russian drones, as well as support facilities.

So, it is likely that the Ukrainians will try to target the base near Tsymbulova too.

The problem is that the Ukrainians would have to use a large number of munitions due to the airbase’s sheer size. The more munitions used, the more likely it is that the Russians will become aware of the operation.

New era of drone warfare

The war in Ukraine has introduced a new era in drone warfare. Before the Russian military invaded its neighbor in force on February 24, 2022, unmanned aerial systems were used mainly by the U.S. military and intelligence community for kinetic strikes and surveillance. In Ukraine, however, the two combatants have introduced unrestricted drone warfare, using a variety of types of unmanned aerial systems for several different mission sets.

Although Ukraine has displayed remarkable ingenuity in developing and fielding new drones on the battlefield, Russia maintains a numerical superiority. Indeed, in 2025 thus far, the Russian forces have launched over 40,000 drones against Ukraine, with the vast majority being suicide drones. Russian drone launches have increased by over 300% since 2024.

The Ukrainian air defenses are having difficulty intercepting such a large number of Russian drones. As a result, Ukrainian air defense operators often have to choose between allowing missiles or suicide drones to pass through the anti-aircraft umbrella.

A strike against the enormous Russian drone airbase would likely ease the workload of Ukraine’s air defenses.

Feature Image: Satellite image shows Russia’s largest Shahed drone launch complex near Tsymbulova, Oryol region. The layout includes garages (red) for UAV storage, hangars (blue) for maintenance, and a 2.5‑kilometer launch road (green) used for mass take‑offs. (United24 Media via Strategic Aviation of Russia and SZ)

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