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Russian State Media Accidentally Reveals Secret Drone-Hunting Airfield Near Ukrainian Front
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russian state media inadvertently revealed the location of an airfield hosting modified Yak-52 aircraft used to intercept Ukrainian drones.
According to Defense Express on October 15, the discovery came after propagandists praised what they described as an “innovative” adaptation of a Soviet-era trainer plane—an idea directly copied from Ukraine’s earlier anti-drone tactics.
The aircraft in question, identified as Yak-52 with serial number RA-1874G, reportedly belongs to the Russian special unit “Bars-Sarmat.” Details visible in the footage published by Russian outlets allowed analysts to geolocate the airfield with high confidence.
Defense Express identified the site as the private “Korsak” airfield, located near the village of Pryazovske, roughly 20 kilometers southeast of occupied Melitopol.
The airstrip lies about 80 kilometers from the frontline. Satellite imagery shows that the airfield underwent recent repairs, with new asphalt resurfacing completed between August 30 and September 7. Analysts note that such upgrades indicate continued operational use by Russian forces.
The airfield’s layout, including a narrow taxiway connecting at an angle to the main runway and a small metal hangar accessed via a tiled pedestrian-style path, matched the details seen in the Russian broadcast. The dark asphalt surface and distinctive infrastructure helped confirm the site’s identity when compared with 2020 and 2025 satellite imagery.
In contrast, Defense Express reported that Russia’s modified Cessna 172 aircraft—equipped with machine-gun pods for counter-drone missions—are based at a separate military airfield in occupied Crimea.
Frames from the same propaganda footage revealed reinforced concrete taxiways and metallic heat deflectors typically used for jet aircraft, suggesting the Cessnas are housed at a higher-level facility once used by Russian fighter jets.
The Yak-52 and Cessna projects reflect Moscow’s ongoing attempts to replicate Ukraine’s early improvisations in aerial counter-drone warfare.
Ukrainian forces were the first to employ small aircraft such as Yak-52 trainers for intercepting reconnaissance drones like Orlan and Zala before the introduction of specialized counter-drone platforms.
By showcasing these “innovations,” Russian media accidentally disclosed sensitive geolocation data about assets operating near the frontline—offering new insight into how Moscow repurposes civilian and training aircraft for military use.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukrainian forces had adapted Soviet-era Yak-52 trainer aircraft into improvised interceptors to counter Russian drones.
Pilots and gunners from the 11th Army Aviation Brigade use these planes to visually track and shoot down reconnaissance and Shahed-type UAVs with small arms—reviving World War I–style aerial tactics as a low-cost supplement to Ukraine’s air defense network.
