Russia builds major new drone attack base near Ukraine in just six weeks - Reuters

The facility in Russia's Rostov Oblast, about 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) from the Millerovo military air base, covers approximately 0.9 square kilometers (0.35 square miles) - roughly the size of 126 soccer fields.

Satellite images showed an almost empty field on August 31, with construction beginning the following day. By October 14, the site had developed into a large complex with eight platforms designed to accommodate drone launch rails. Two platforms already had rails installed, while work was underway on two others.

Mike Monnik, founder of the private intelligence company DroneSec, told Reuters the base could launch Russia's newer Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet-powered drones.

He estimated that the facility could potentially launch 100 or more drones within 24 hours, although actual operations would depend on available supplies and military objectives.

Monnik said the base could become fully operational within weeks, possibly sooner. He also assessed that its proximity to Millerovo air base could place it under the protection of Russian air defense systems.

The expansion comes as Russia increasingly deploys jet-powered attack drones against Ukraine. These weapons can reach speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour (373 mph), making them difficult to intercept with the relatively inexpensive Ukrainian interceptor drones designed to counter slower, propeller-driven models.

According to Ukrainian military data previously reported by Reuters, Russia increased its use of jet-powered drones roughly sixfold over three months this summer, with Kyiv and the surrounding region among the most heavily targeted areas.

Rob Jordan of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said the rapid construction demonstrated Russia's growing emphasis on long-range strikes, potentially at the expense of its conventional ground forces.

Russia's Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.