October 3, 2026

Drones reportedly attacked the Tsymbulova military complex, one of Russia’s largest bases for storing and launching strike UAVs, in Oryol Oblast overnight on Oct. 3, monitoring channels reported.

Telegram monitoring channel Exilenova+ reported the attack, while satellite fire monitoring showed multiple thermal anomalies around the facility.

NASA’s FIRMS satellite monitoring system began detecting fires at around 1:33 a.m. in the area used for storing, preparing and launching Russian drones.

The extent of the damage has not yet been independently verified, and Ukrainian authorities have not officially confirmed the strike.

Tsymbulova is a major Russian military complex near the village of the same name in Oryol Oblast. It is used to store, service and launch long-range attack drones against Ukraine.

The facility has undergone significant expansion as Russia has increased its production and use of strike drones.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces previously struck the Tsymbulova drone base on Sept. 21.

Ukraine’s General Staff later reported that at least three large drone storage facilities caught fire in that attack. A specialized launch site for jet-powered strike drones was damaged, along with five launchers.

OSINT assessments immediately after the attack suggested that two drone bunkers, two pre-launch storage facilities and a Geran-5 launch site may also have been hit.

The Telegraph reported in September, citing satellite imagery from August, that the base had 16 launchers and more than 100 drones ready for operations against Ukraine.

The facility also had enough solar panels to continue operating during power outages, according to the newspaper.

Satellite imagery indicated that Russia had built new infrastructure at Tsymbulova specifically to accommodate jet-powered drones.

The Telegraph reported that the site was believed to have one Geran-5 launcher and six Geran-4 launchers alongside older infrastructure used for Geran-2 and Geran-3 drones.

More recent satellite analysis indicates that Russia has continued expanding the facility.

An Oct. 1 Ukrainska Pravda investigation estimated that Tsymbulova now has 23 launchers for different drone types, 387 garages and 26 underground storage facilities.

The outlet reported that Russia was also preparing four additional launchers for jet-powered drones, as well as 83 more garages and underground shelters.

https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/fires-reported-at-russia-s-tsymbulova-drone-base-after-overnight-attack-50646780.html