Russia creates new military base to launch jet-powered Geran drones at Ukraine – Telegraph
Russia has built a new military base in the Oryol region in just a few months to launch jet-powered Geran drones at Ukraine. Satellite imagery indicates that the facility is located near the village of Tsymbulova and has already become one of the key elements of Russia’s strike campaign.
As Censor.NET reports, The Telegraph wrote about this.
Construction of the base
At the beginning of 2026, the first foundations for launch pads appeared in an empty agricultural field near Tsymbulova. A month later, another 10 such structures were installed there, and by August the number of launch installations had risen to 16.
As of August, more than 100 drones ready to be launched at Ukraine were stored in the open at the base. Nearly 100 solar panels were also installed so the facility could operate autonomously in the event of power outages.
- The base is located approximately 175 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. This is a convenient distance for launching drones towards Kyiv and central Ukraine.
- Satellite images indicate that it was built specifically to accommodate jet-powered Gerans: their launch rails are longer than those used for older models.
Can it be destroyed?
At the end of August, Ukraine struck Tsymbulova. Satellite imagery after the attack showed damage to one of the launch installations and the adjacent storage area, as well as fires on the base’s territory.
Robert Tollast, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, noted that concentrating hundreds of drones at one facility creates a vulnerability for Russia. Preparing a large number of drones for launch requires refuelling, arming, and placing them on launch rails, making the process visible to satellite reconnaissance.
Photo: Russian base in the Oryol region / Vantor The Telegraph
According to him, conventional drone attacks are unlikely to destroy a base of this scale, but a cruise missile could inflict significant damage.
Over two years, Russia has transformed its drone campaign from a slow and relatively easy-to-intercept threat into a faster weapon that is more difficult to intercept. The base in Tsymbulova is part of this transformation.
Background
- The Geran-5, the largest drone in this family and the one launched from Tsymbulova, carries a 90-kilogram warhead. It can travel up to 1,000 kilometres and reach speeds of up to 600 kilometres per hour. The smaller Geran-4 is slower but can still reach speeds of up to 450 kilometres per hour.
