Russia has constructed a large military facility designed to launch attack drones in a matter of weeks, turning previously undeveloped land into a strategically significant site, Business Insider (BI) reports, citing satellite imagery.

The pace of construction has attracted attention from Western analysts. Spencer Faragasso, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Science and International Security, described the facility’s level of completion as remarkable, given that work only began in August.

The new complex is located in Russia’s Rostov Region, near the Millerovo military airfield. According to assessments by intelligence specialists and industry experts, the site is intended to support Geran-5 jet-powered drones, which can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h.

Western experts believe the speed of construction reflects a broader Russian effort to standardize military drone infrastructure, allowing similar facilities to be developed more efficiently.

The economics of drone warfare are another factor driving this expansion. Ukrainian estimates put the cost of a single Geran-5 at approximately $115,000, while interceptor missiles used against such aircraft can cost millions of dollars.

Mike Monnik, founder of DroneSec, linked Russia’s infrastructure development to the need to increase drone numbers without sacrificing cost efficiency.

According to Monnik, Russia is standardizing the layout of its drone bases and constructing large storage facilities capable of accommodating thousands of unmanned aircraft while supporting mass launches.

The scale of Russian drone operations is already substantial, according to figures released by Kiev. Ukrainian estimates suggest that Russian forces launched approximately 4,000 jet-powered drones, including Geran-5 models, toward Ukraine in October 2026 alone.

That would amount to an average of roughly 133 drones per day.

Analysts believe the construction of additional facilities, combined with the expansion of existing complexes, could allow Russia to further increase the frequency and scale of drone launches.