(LONDON) – Satellite imagery has exposed a network of new Russian military installations along its western border, purpose built for launching advanced jet powered drones capable of striking deep into Ukraine and NATO territory, an investigation by The Telegraph has revealed.
The analysis of satellite images and leaked documents shows Russia is rapidly developing at least ten bases to launch its most sophisticated long range suicide drones. The primary drone in question is the Geran series, Russia’s domestic version of the Iranian Shahed drone, identifiable by its distinctive triangular delta wing design.
The investigation highlights a significant technological upgrade in this arsenal. While the original Geran 2 model used a rear propeller, the newer Geran 3, 4, and 5 variants are equipped with powerful jet engines. According to the Ukrainian military, the latest Geran 5 iteration can reach speeds of 600 km per hour and carry a payload of up to 90 kg.
This is a substantial improvement over the Geran 4, which has a top speed of 350 km per hour and a 50 kg warhead. Crucially, the Geran 5 has abandoned the traditional delta wing shape for a more conventional missile design, allowing it to fly faster and evade air defence systems. Ukrainian military sources predict the Geran 5 has a range of almost 1,000 km, placing Warsaw within reach from the launch site in Simolova.
The construction of new infrastructure has been key to deploying these faster drones. Russian state media footage shows the Geran 5 being launched from a static rail system. The latest model requires longer mechanical guide tracks to reach flight speed. Satellite imagery from a facility in Simolova, Oryol Oblast, roughly 100 miles from the Ukrainian border, confirms this development. In July 2024, the site was a field.
By August 2026, it had been transformed into a drone storage and launch base. High resolution images from April 2026 show two extended launch rails, longer and wider than neighbouring rails. In recent months, 16 extended launch rails for the powerful Geran 5 have been added at Simolova, with an additional five under construction. Experts predict the facility can store more than 1,000 drones at any given time.
Similar extended launch tracks have been constructed at nine other bases along the Russian border. At Primorsko Akhtarsk on the coast of the Azov Sea, an image from July 2025 showed approximately 40 delta wing Geran drones sitting in the open. A more recent image shows a covered storage facility and an extended launch rail have been added.
At the Khaliño air base in Kursk Oblast, approximately 120 km from Ukraine, two of the new 35 metre long rails are visible. In Shatalovo, near Russia’s border with Belarus, at least seven new launch rails are under construction. At Donetsk airport, a former Ukrainian civilian airport seized by Russian backed separatists in 2014, two extended launch rails and numerous storage units have been identified less than 50 km from the front line.
This builds up to a wall of air bases along Russia’s border with Ukraine and Belarus, capable of launching long range attack drones. The drones are believed to be primarily delivered to these launch bases from the main production site in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone. Russia showcased the factory in a state TV broadcast last year, showing rows of Geran drones.
In May 2026, it was reported that Russia had expanded the factory by 340 hectares. Ukrainian intelligence claims that Russia is slightly reducing overall production numbers to focus on the more advanced jet powered Geran 4s and Geran 5s, a claim seemingly confirmed by the ongoing construction of extended launch rails.
Open source tracking data indicates that Russia has already used these sites for recent bombardments of Ukraine. Ukraine has found it increasingly difficult to intercept these faster jet powered drones, especially while managing a shortage in air defences. Ukraine states it needs to adapt its own interception methods to match Russia’s evolving drone threat.
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