Satellite images have revealed large-scale destruction at a Russian drone base located at Donetsk airport. The strike took place on November 5, and according to the Dnipro OSINT project, it destroyed one of the warehouses where Russian forces stored, assembled, and launched Shahed drones.
The images, shared on November 9, show one warehouse completely destroyed and another seriously damaged. OSINT analysts reported that the attack was carried out by Ukraine’s Defense Forces and called it “very effective”. The satellite pictures reportedly captured the results of an FP-2 drone strike on the Shahed combat unit warehouses.
According to the Dnipro OSINT report, the base at Donetsk airport had been used for months. It served as a hub for assembling and launching Shahed drones. These drones are also known as Geran-2 when produced locally in Russia. The destruction indicates a major blow to the Russian drone program in the region.
Explosions Shake Occupied Donetsk
On the evening of November 5, residents of occupied Donetsk reported loud explosions and a strong shockwave. Videos and photos uploaded online showed bright fireballs and secondary detonations, suggesting that ammunition or fuel supplies were hit during the strike.
Blogger and journalist Denys Kazanskyi said the explosion was one of the strongest in recent months. He noted a powerful shockwave and multiple detonations that continued after the first blast. His observations matched the visuals seen in satellite imagery released days later.
Analysts from Dnipro OSINT estimated that around 500 combat units could have been destroyed in the strike. The number likely includes assembled drones and components stored in the warehouses. If accurate, this would make it one of the largest single losses of Russian Shahed drones since the start of the full-scale invasion.
The Shahed drones were first developed in Iran. They are now produced under license in Russia. Russian forces have widely used them to attack Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. They are known for their loud buzzing sound and for being deployed in large numbers during nighttime attacks.
Confirmed Hit on Drone Warehouses
On November 6, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert (Madyar) Brovdi, confirmed that Ukrainian defenders had destroyed the base where Russian forces stored, assembled, and launched Shahed drones. His statement confirmed what analysts had already observed through satellite images — the complete destruction of one warehouse and visible damage to another.
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The strike also connected to earlier findings from another OSINT group. In July 2025, the Ukrainian project CyberBoroshno had published satellite images showing the construction of new drone infrastructure at Donetsk airport. The same location later became the target of the November 5 attack.
The airport, once an international terminal, has been under Russian control since 2014 and converted into a major military facility. Over time, it has become a key launch and assembly point for Shahed drones used against Ukraine.
While no official casualty figures have been released, the scale of the explosion and secondary detonations indicate significant material losses. Satellite images now show blackened debris and collapsed buildings where warehouses once stood.
The evidence provided by Dnipro OSINT and other open-source analysts has helped confirm the scale of the strike, showing the effectiveness of Ukraine’s precision attacks against key military targets in occupied areas. The destruction of the Donetsk drone base marks one of the most visible and damaging strikes against Russian Shahed operations to date.
