More than 500 drones may be present: images of Russia’s largest launch pad have emerged

According to the information, the Tsymbulov test site is located approximately 400 km from the border with Ukraine.

The enemy has created eight stationary launchers for the Shahed missiles at the training ground. / Photo: ua.depositphotos.com

High-quality satellite images have been published of a large-scale Shahed kamikaze drone launch site in Tsymbulova, located in Russia’s Oryol Oblast. According to the OSINT community “Strategic Aviation of Russia,” the complex may contain at least 93 garages and 15 hangars.

There are reports that some of them are already filled with attack drones. Preliminary estimates indicate that the Russian occupiers may be storing over 500 UAVs here at any one time, with at least 175 in the garages.

It is noted that 8 stationary launch sites have been created at the test site, and next to them there are another 20 garages, which are likely intended for servicing and preparing drones for launch.

The facility’s total area is reported to be over 5 square kilometers, and the launch road is over 2.5 kilometers long. This allows the enemy to launch drones en masse into Ukrainian territory.

It’s worth noting that the Tsymbulov test site is located approximately 400 km from the Ukrainian border. This is why an aggressor country can launch Shahed-type attack drones from deep within Russian territory, avoiding retaliatory strikes.

Satellite images of the launch site in Russia / Photo: t.me/StrategicaviationT

The publication Militarnye reported that on January 26, 2025, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that units of the Ukrainian Air Force, together with the Defense Forces, launched a strike on attack drone storage depots in the Oryol region of the Russian Federation. The concrete buildings that were likely used for drone storage and maintenance were hit.

The General Staff shared that, according to available information, the affected facility contained thermobaric warheads, which the enemy uses to equip drones.

A month before this attack, on December 26, 2024, Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles also attacked the test site. According to satellite imagery, Russia began construction of the facility in August 2024 and completed it within a few months.

Weapons in the war in Ukraine: the latest news

UNIAN previously reported that Serhiy Melnyk, head of the 69th Center’s information and analytical support department, stated that Ukrainian electronic warfare systems can counter guided bombs, as well as Shahed missiles and even Kinzhal missiles, which Russia launches at Ukrainian territory. Melnyk added that, for example, Shahed missiles can be misdirected using electronic warfare systems, leading them to believe their target is there. He added that in such a case, the Shahed missile accumulates navigational errors as it approaches major cities, making it unable to calculate its location.

We also reported that Estonian developers unveiled the Frankenburg Mark 1, the first mass-produced mini-missile of the new generation. Although it’s the size of a baguette, it’s specifically designed to intercept Shahed-type drones, which Russia regularly launches against Ukraine. Moreover, the drones have recently violated the airspace of several NATO countries. Former high-ranking official in the Estonian Ministry of Defense, Kusti Salm, stated that they don’t hide the fact that they are producing weapons designed to destroy drones.

(C)UNIAN 2025