Satellite Images Have Revealed 10 Secret Russian UAV Bases
- 17.08.2026, 10:33
They make it possible to attack NATO countries.
Russia has set up a number of secret bases, from which it can launch the latest strike drones—jet-powered “Shaheds”—to carry out strikes deep into NATO territory. The British newspaper The Telegraph.
Based on leaked documents and satellite imagery, the newspaper’s journalists have identified up to 10 new Russian bases with recently constructed launch sites for Russia’s most advanced kamikaze drones—namely, the “Geran-4” and “Geran-5” models, i.e., jet-powered “shahids.” Specifically, the “Geran-5” carries a 90-kg warhead, and the stated range of this UAV reaches approximately 1,000 kilometers.
According to The Telegraph, some of these bases are already being used to launch strikes against Ukraine, and their proximity to the Ukrainian border facilitates massive air attacks, through which Russia is attempting to breach “Kyiv’s weakened air defense.” For example, 7 out of 10 bases were involved in recent massive strikes on the Ukrainian capital. At the same time, the publication emphasizes that these same bases “pose a long-term threat” to a number of NATO countries that fall within the range of such attacks.
According to a chart published by The Telegraph, the hypothetical 1,000-kilometer strike radius of “Geran-5” missiles launched from launch sites in Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine includes such alliance countries as Turkey, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Romania, and Bulgaria, as well as parts of Greece, Hungary, and Slovakia. As the publication warns, citing analysts, in the event of a war with Europe, Russia could deploy its drone capabilities against European states—Warsaw, in particular, could come under attack.
Hybrid scenarios cannot be ruled out either. “Representatives of European and American intelligence agencies believe that Russia is considering the possibility of an armed provocation on Polish soil, missile or drone attacks on critical infrastructure, or false-flag attacks for which Ukraine would be blamed,” the publication reports.