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Russia’s secret drone bases targeting NATO: what the Telegraph revealed

Russia has built secret drone bases capable of striking deep into NATO territory, the Telegraph reveals, raising urgent alarms across the Alliance.

Russia’s secret drone bases targeting NATO: what the Telegraph revealed
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Russia has reportedly established secret bases capable of launching advanced long-range drones to strike targets deep inside NATO territory. According to the British newspaper the Telegraph, ten Russian bases have been identified, featuring new launch platforms designed for Moscow’s latest generation of long-range kamikaze drones.


Read: Russia: Ukrainian drones destroy massive Wildberries warehouse outside Moscow — Spanish fighter jet shoots down Russian unmanned aircraft over Romania (Video)

Some of these facilities are already being used to strike Ukraine. Their proximity to the border enables Russia to launch large-scale aerial attacks at a time when Ukrainian air defenses are facing increasing difficulty intercepting successive waves of strikes. These bases also pose a long-term threat to NATO member states, bringing some of Russia’s most advanced offensive drones within striking range of European targets — including Warsaw.


The Telegraph: what the reports say about Russia’s drone bases

Analysts warn that the technology Russia is rapidly developing could be used against Europe in the event of war. European and American intelligence officials assess, according to the Telegraph, that Russia is even considering the possibility of an armed provocation on Polish soil, drone and missile strikes against critical infrastructure, or operations that could be falsely attributed to Ukraine.


NATO’s growing concern

A NATO official told the Telegraph that the Alliance is “ready to defend every inch of allied territory,” adding that it will continue to “strengthen its readiness to deter and defend against any threat, including drone threats.” Based on leaked documents and satellite imagery, the British newspaper identified at least 59 new launch rails along Russia’s borders with Belarus and Ukraine.


How the launch systems work

These are mechanical platforms used to launch fixed-wing drones without the need for traditional runways. Some launch hubs were established within military bases and repurposed civilian airports, while additional facilities were constructed in rural areas of Russia.

Imagery analyzed by intelligence firm DroneSec shows that around 20 of the new platforms are longer in length, suggesting they may have been designed to launch Moscow’s newer long-range offensive drones.


What Russia is developing

Russia is rapidly developing its own variants of the Iranian Shahed drone, including faster jet-powered models capable of striking targets up to 620 miles — approximately 1,000 kilometers — away. According to leaked Ukrainian government documents, the newer models, known as the Geran-4 and Geran-5, can reach speeds high enough to challenge certain air defense systems, while carrying warheads weighing approximately 90 kilograms.


Ukraine’s warnings

Ukrainian military intelligence has also warned that Russia is working to equip Geran-family drones with air-to-air missiles, enabling them to target aircraft protecting the airspace over Kyiv.

Satellite imagery also reveals a significant increase in advanced drone presence at these facilities. One of the bases features storage capacity for more than 1,000 drones at a time.


Ongoing construction

Additional launch rails are being constructed at several of the most significant facilities — a development that, according to the investigation, signals Moscow’s intent to substantially expand its capacity to launch mass drone attacks.


How the bases are supplied

According to the Telegraph’s sources, the bases are supplied with drones from a network of munitions and weapons manufacturing plants across Russia. Among these is the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, one of Russia’s most important drone production complexes, which is reportedly manufacturing around 6,000 unmanned aircraft per year.


“Drones have fundamentally changed the nature of modern warfare”

A NATO official emphasized that drones have “fundamentally changed the nature of modern warfare and have become a decisive factor on the battlefield,” adding that the Alliance is “rapidly expanding its ability to produce, deploy, and counter drones at scale.”

The investigation concludes that Moscow is rapidly expanding its drone warfare capabilities, while deepening concerns about Vladimir Putin’s intentions and the level of threat NATO member states may face in the future. Open-source tracking data further revealed that seven of the ten facilities identified by the Telegraph were used in some of the most recent Russian strikes against Kyiv.

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