Russia has prepared launch sites for large-scale launches of Shahid missiles — Business Insider
In Russia's border regions, infrastructure is being expanded to launch a new generation of jet-powered drones, which are planned to be used for strikes against Ukraine.
Business Insider reports this.
According to satellite imagery, at least four launch rails have been installed in the Oryol region, specifically near the abandoned village of Tsymbulova. Two of them are longer—about 85 meters—which indicates preparations for launching more advanced drones.
Analysts note that longer launch rails are needed for jet-powered drones, which require a longer run-up before takeoff, while shorter launchers are used for earlier models.
These are modernized versions of the Geran series drones, derived from the Iranian Shahed-136. The new variants—Geran-3, Geran-4, and Geran-5—are equipped with jet engines, allowing them to reach higher speeds and better evade air defense systems. In particular, the “Geran-5” is already approaching the shape of a cruise missile.
According to Kyle Glenn, an analyst at the Center for Information Resilience, the base near Tsymbulova is one of two capable of servicing the new types of drones. The occupiers have also established similar infrastructure at the site of the destroyed airport in occupied Donetsk.
On the evening of April 22, explosions occurred in the temporarily occupied city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region, followed by a fire in the city. Reports indicate that an energy infrastructure facility was hit, leaving part of the city without power.
Prior to this, Russian troops carried out about 40 strikes on the Dnipropetrovsk region, using artillery, aerial bombs, and drones. The Nikopol, Kryvyi Rih, and Synelnykiv districts came under fire, resulting in reported damage.
