Ukrainian Strike Damages Russian Drone Hangars in Crimea, Satellite Images Show

Ukraine’s Armed Forces struck hangars in temporarily occupied Ukrainian Yevpatoria city in Crimea, where Russian troops stored and serviced Forpost and Orion drones, Militarnyi reported, citing the Dnipro Osint project on March 2.

The attack took place on February 27 and targeted the Yevpatoria Aviation Repair Plant, which Russian forces use as infrastructure for maintaining and housing the drones. Satellite images taken after the strike show damage to at least three hangars.

Footage indicates that the strike assets, likely suicide drones, pierced the roofs of the structures and may have detonated inside. The extent of internal damage remains unclear.

The facility has previously been targeted by Ukrainian long-range drones. On February 21, a strike reportedly damaged two Be-12 anti-submarine aircraft at the same site. In November 2025, Ukrainian forces also hit the Kirovske airfield in Crimea, where Orion-type drones were based, Militarnyi wrote.

Russia uses Forpost and Orion UAVs to monitor the Crimean coastline and to detect and strike Ukrainian naval drones operating near the peninsula and in the Kuban region.

The Orion is a medium-altitude reconnaissance and strike drone with a wingspan of about 16 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of roughly 1.2 tons. It can carry up to 200 kilograms of payload, remain airborne for up to 24 hours, and operate at ranges of up to 1,500 kilometers.

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The drone is capable of carrying guided missiles and precision bombs, and has also been used as a launch platform for the S8000 “Banderol” cruise missile, Militarnyi reported.

The Forpost UAV, based on Israel’s Searcher Mk II and later localized in Russia, is an operational-tactical drone with a range exceeding 250 kilometers and an endurance of up to 18 hours. While initially designed for reconnaissance and artillery adjustment, the upgraded Forpost-R variant can carry precision-guided munitions.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Armed Forces had struck several high-value Russian military targets overnight, including radar and aviation control systems in occupied Crimea.

The operation was carried out near the city of Dzhankoi, where Ukrainian forces successfully hit a P-18 “Terek” radar station along with an RSP-6M2 airfield control system.

The P-18 radar is designed for automatic target detection, calculating an object’s position and distance, and transmitting radar data to air-defense operators. Such systems play a key role in early warning and battlefield awareness, helping Russian forces track aerial threats.

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