Dozens of Russian Airfields Are in the Range of Western Long-Range Missiles. We’ve Gathered Them on a Single Map

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Western long-range weapons and the permission to strike Russian territory with them will not be a new 'red line' for Vladimir Putin: the situation won’t change, and no greater escalation is expected.

The permission to strike deep into Russian territory with American and European long-range missiles has been discussed for months. For Ukraine, this is a critical moment: at Russian airfields near the border, there are dozens or even hundreds of aircraft, and Russian aviation bombs Ukrainian cities and military positions daily. Western missiles would allow Ukraine to destroy both the aircraft and the airfields where they are stationed. Planes, munitions, infrastructure—moving them farther from Ukraine would complicate the planning of new operations.

How many of these airfields are there? Dozens. Each of them is within the reach of various missiles from different partners. We’ve plotted these airfields on a map, as well as the range of attacks for Western long-range missiles. We should note that the missile range is not marked from the extreme point of the Ukrainian border, as this is dangerous, but with a buffer of approximately 15-20 km.

The map also includes the range of Ukrainian drones, previously documented to reach up to 1,850 km.

Another important factor is that if Ukraine is granted the permission to strike deep into Russia with long-range missiles, this would be for combined attacks. Today, Ukraine manages to attack Russia with hundreds of drones at once, overwhelming air defense systems and achieving the element of surprise. With missiles, Ukraine will be able to plan even more complex operations, delivering maximum damage to Russian airfields and military targets. Ukraine has already provided a list of such targets to its allies. Russia frequently uses combined attacks, attempting to overload Ukrainian air defense systems.

If Ukraine already has long-range drones, why does it need missiles? Missiles are faster, better at bypassing electronic warfare systems, and typically carry larger warheads capable of striking and destroying huge targets. Drones have significantly lower destructive capabilities and are slower. This is why combined attacks, involving both missiles and drones, are so important.

If the West allows the use of Storm Shadow/SCALP, ATACMS, and provides JASSM missiles, it will significantly boost Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and reduce Russia’s offensive potential.