Ukraine Destroys 1,000 Shahed Drones in High-Precision Strike on Russian Base

Following the report detailing the destruction of a Russian Shahed drone hub at the occupied Donetsk airport, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces have released additional information about the scale and objectives of the operation.

The strike, conducted on November 5, targeted a military logistics site within the grounds of the former international airport. According to the SSO, the facility contained approximately 1,000 Shahed-type drones, components for their assembly, and pre-launch equipment.

The operation involved both strike drones and long-range weapons, with more than 90% of the deployed systems successfully reaching their intended targets.

The operation was conducted in coordination with the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces and rocket artillery units.

“Enemy military infrastructure was located on the territory of the former international airport,” the SSO said in an official statement. The strike reportedly caused a large explosion, followed by secondary detonations, which were recorded by multiple eyewitnesses and shared on social media platforms.

According to the Ukrainian side, the target included not only storage for Shahed drones, but also auxiliary infrastructure such as a fueling station, a UAV pre-launch preparation area, and facilities for manual control systems.

Read more

Category

Latest news

Ukrainian Long-Planned Operation Wipes Out Shahed Launch Complex in Donetsk, Video

Nov 06, 2025 10:52

Ukrainian analysts from the group “Dossier Shpyguna” reported that both cruise missiles and UAVs were used in the operation.

In addition to the destruction of the drone stockpile, Ukrainian forces also reported the following outcomes:

• A munitions warehouse was completely destroyed;

• A fuel depot was eliminated;

• Electrical and communication nodes were damaged;

• A UAV pre-launch preparation site was neutralized.

At the time of the strike, the site was believed to contain up to 1,000 Iranian-designed Geran-2 drones (the Russian designation for Shahed-136) and more than 1,500 warheads.

The operation followed months of reconnaissance. Analysts from the 414th Separate UAV Brigade, known as “Birds of Madyar,” were involved in the intelligence-gathering phase.

The group “CyberBoroshno” previously identified new fortified structures in the area as early as August, including closed storage shelters and manual control points for Shahed and Geran-type UAVs.

This is one of the largest reported single strikes against Russian drone infrastructure in the war to date, underscoring Ukraine’s increasing reliance on unmanned and precision-strike capabilities deep behind enemy lines.

Earlier, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed overnight strikes on three Russian fuel depots in occupied Crimea, including facilities near Simferopol and Hvardiyske, in an effort to disrupt Russian logistics. Fires broke out following drone activity, with satellite images showing damage at a Krymneftesbyt site.

Support Frontline Journalism by UNITED24 Media

DONATE NOW