Russia is building another drone launch facility near the Millerovo airfield. The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) reported this on Telegram.
"Russia continues to expand its infrastructure for launching attack drones against Ukrainian cities. Satellite images confirm the construction of a new UAV launch site near the Millerovo military airfield in the Rostov region, which borders the temporarily occupied territory of the Luhansk region," the statement said.
According to DIU, the configuration of the facility indicates that it is intended for the preparation and launch of jet-powered attack drones, most likely Geran-4 and Geran-5 UAVs and their modifications.
Preliminary estimates suggest that, once construction is completed, the facility could support up to 100 launches per day.
"The actual intensity of its use will depend on several factors, including the supply of completed drones, the availability of fuel and UAV warheads, the number of trained crews, the operational condition of equipment and the tasks assigned by Russia," DIU stated.
The intelligence agency noted that there were no visible signs of active construction at the site in late August 2026. However, by mid-October, Russian forces had already established launch positions and other infrastructure.
Alongside the construction of the new drone launch facility, Russia continues to improve its jet-powered UAVs.
"A new modification of the Geran-4 has been equipped with additional autonomous navigation capabilities, including an optical terrain image-matching system. A similar system is also being integrated into the Geran-5, specifically the K5 variant. In addition, the Russians have equipped the Geran-4 with a domestically produced jet engine and a new warhead designed to target bridge structures and power transmission line pylons," DIU reported.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the new modifications of Russian jet-powered drones are intended to improve the accuracy of autonomous navigation and expand their capabilities to destroy Ukrainian infrastructure, including civilian facilities.
"The new drone launch facility will complement Russia's existing network of UAV launch sites, which includes at least 12 permanent facilities. The development of the site in the Rostov region may be part of Russia's preparations to intensify strikes against Ukraine, particularly during the winter months," the statement concluded.
