Russia prepares Donetsk airport for "Shahed" attacks on Ukraine - ISW
Kyiv • UNN
Russia is actively re-equipping Donetsk airport for launching attack drones. This will allow it to reduce the reaction time of Ukrainian air defense and increase the number of attacks.
Russia plans to more actively use the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular the Donetsk airport area, to carry out drone attacks. This is reported in its summary by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), according to UNN.
On August 2, a Ukrainian Telegram channel reported that satellite images of the airport in northern occupied Donetsk from July 2025 show that Russian authorities have partially cleared the runway of fortifications and begun construction work on parking lots, possibly in preparation for installing fuel tanks.
ISW analysts reported that satellite images indicate that Russian occupation authorities are building enclosed storage facilities near the destroyed airport terminal and preparing manual drone control points, warhead unloading areas, airspace observation points, and a runway.
Russian occupation authorities are developing infrastructure at the airport for launching Shahed-type attack drones, Gerbera-type decoy drones, and possibly Geran (Shahed) jet drones.
According to ISW, placing Shahed launch sites closer to the front line will reduce the reaction time of Ukrainian air defense to them.
It is noted that further Russian capture of territories will pose an increasing threat to both Ukraine and NATO member states.
Recall
Russia is increasing the production of missiles and drones, which will allow it to launch larger-scale attacks on Ukraine in the fall of 2025. ISW analysts predict up to 2000 drones per night by November 2025.