Ukraine says it has Donetsk airport under “fire control.” Satellite images show Russia building there anyway

Russia is enlarging launch pads at the occupied Donetsk International Airport for its jet-powered Geran-3 drones. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Telegram channel “Strategic Aviation” shows that the size of standard launch pads has increased to accommodate Geran-3 launches, and new access roads were added to the Geran/Gerbera drone warehouse in June.

The construction extends Russia’s ongoing conversion of the occupied airport into a full drone launch and storage complex, following the satellite-confirmed initial conversion that began in mid-2025.

Donetsk Airport and Russia’s Tsymbulova training ground in Oryol Oblast are the only two known launch sites for Russia’s jet-powered Geran-3 and Geran-4 drones.

Ukraine’s 1st Separate Unmanned Systems Center claimed in June 2026 that sustained drone strikes had brought the airport under “fire control” and rendered it unusable for Russian operations. The new satellite analysis indicates that Russia continues to make industrial-scale investments there regardless of the operation.

New Geran-3 launch pads, warehouse access roads, second storage building

The Strategic Aviation analysis flagged three specific developments visible in satellite imagery as of 29 June 2026:

1. The enlargement of standard launch pads to accommodate the larger Geran-3 airframe,
2. The completion in June of several access roads leading to the Geran/Gerbera drone warehouse,
3. The likely start of construction on a second warehouse in the central airport section, per the channel.

The Geran-3 uses a turbojet engine and cruises at 300-370 km/h with a range of up to 1,000 km. Its increased size requires launch installations larger than those used for the original gasoline-powered Geran-2.

Russia completed preparations for mass production of the Geran-4 by January 2026, with test launches from the Primorsk drone airport in Oryol Oblast and from Donetsk Airport. 

From the “Cyborg” stand to a Russian drone base

Donetsk Airport was the site of one of the most iconic Ukrainian defensive stands of the war — the 242-day “Cyborg” defense of 2014-2015, when Ukrainian forces held the airport’s terminal buildings against Russian-led forces. Russia captured the site in early 2015 and has held it since.

Until 2024, the airport lay effectively at the line of contact, preventing large-scale Russian construction. As the front moved westward in 2024, Russia gained enough rear-area depth to begin converting the site into a drone launch base.