Russia builds drone launch pads near Ukraine that could reach NATO members

Russia has finished constructing ten new drone‑launch bases along its borders with Ukraine and Belarus, a development that puts several NATO states inside the reach of Moscow’s next‑generation long‑range UAVs.

What the launch pads look like

Satellite images and leaked documents reveal at least 59 freshly cut “launch rails” spread across the ten sites. Some are repurposed from former military airfields, others are built in remote countryside locations. One installation can store more than 1,000 long‑range drones at once, and work continues to add further rails at several key points.

Media additions

The drones slated for these pads are the Geran‑4 and Geran‑5 models, each capable of flying almost 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) with a 90‑kilogram payload, according to the investigation. Open‑source tracking shows seven of the ten bases have already been used in recent strikes on Kyiv, where Ukrainian air defenses are scrambling for dwindling Patriot interceptors.

Why NATO is watching

Analysts from drone‑intelligence firm DroneSec note that the geometry of several pads allows UAVs to potentially reach Polish, Turkish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Romanian territory. The risk is not theoretical: a Russian Shahed‑type drone hit a residential building in Romania in May, injuring two people, and another crossed into Moldova during a July attack on Ukraine.

“(Russia) would lose a lot, much more than what they could gain just by touching Poland or the Baltic states.”

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the NATO Military Committee, via Yahoo News

Ukraine’s counter‑strike: the 800‑drone barrage

While Moscow builds its launch infrastructure, Kyiv has launched its own massive drone wave. Russian authorities reported that more than 800 Ukrainian drones were sent toward Russian territory in a single night, with around 600 aimed at the Moscow region. The attack, described by Russia’s TASS as the “largest Ukrainian drone assault of the year,” resulted in at least six fatalities in Russia and a fire at a Wildberries logistics centre.

Wildberries, Russia’s e‑commerce giant often likened to Amazon, has been a recurring target. The warehouse hit on Saturday covered roughly 250,000 sq m and was one of the company’s ten largest logistics hubs.

Maj Gen Vadym Skibitski, deputy chief of Ukraine’s intelligence service, explained that “it’s one of the elements of the logistics system of the Russian Federation to wage the war, including through Wildberries – some military equipment, components and other elements.” He added that seven of the ten largest Wildberries centres have been “disabled” by recent attacks.

Escalation on both sides

Both sides blame the other for civilian casualties. Skibitski says some Russian deaths result from air‑defence fire on incoming weapons, while Russian officials label the Ukrainian strikes as “largest‑scale” attacks of the year.

Timeline of recent developments

• May 2024 – Russian Shahed drone hits residential building in Romania, injuring two.
• July 2026 – Jet‑powered drone usage by Russia rises fivefold compared with June, according to Kyiv Independent.
• July 2026 – Ukrainian drone crosses into Moldova during attack on Ukraine.
• 16 August 2026 – Yahoo News publishes investigation revealing ten new Russian drone launch pads.
• 17 August 2026 – Russia reports shooting down more than 800 Ukrainian drones in a single night, with six killed (TimesNowNews).

What to watch next

• Whether NATO members will bolster air‑defence deployments along the new Russian drone corridors.
• Further disclosures from drone‑intelligence analysts on the operational status of the ten launch pads.
• Potential diplomatic signals from Germany and the United States regarding the “NATO‑agreed intelligence” on a possible 2029 invasion scenario.
• Continuation of Ukrainian strikes on Russian logistics hubs, especially Wildberries facilities, and the Russian response in the form of wider missile campaigns.

The construction of these launch pads marks a clear shift in Russia’s aerial strategy, turning the conflict’s front line into a longer‑range contest that now drifts into the airspace of NATO allies. As both Kyiv and Moscow accelerate their drone campaigns, the risk of inadvertent escalation across Europe grows, making the coming weeks crucial for diplomatic and defensive posturing alike.