Russia Builds Drone Warbase at Former Civil Airport in Occupied Crimea

A civilian airport in the Russian-occupied city of Kerch is being converted into a military base likely for launching drones at Ukraine, according to a new investigation by Schemes, a project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Satellite images from Planet Labs show ongoing construction and military-style activity at the Kerch airport, which sits in eastern Crimea. The photos, compared between February and June 2025, reveal new fortifications and camouflage structures around the runway.

Aviation expert Anatoly Khrapchinsky told Schemes the changes suggest the airport is being prepared to host and launch Shahed-type kamikaze drones. These are the same kinds of drones Russia has used in frequent attacks on mainland Ukraine.

“This is probably a technical base for storing and launching UAVs,” Khrapchinsky said. He pointed to large camouflage tents visible in the satellite photos, likely used to hide drones or house air defense systems such as the Pantsir-S1 or Tor-M2.

Khrapchinsky said the runway length is already suitable for launching drones and noted new embankments on-site that may be future positions for anti-aircraft systems.

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He added that converting the airport is part of a wider Russian strategy to increase its drone-launch capabilities by spreading out launch teams and equipment. Ukrainian forces say Russia has launched up to 500 drones in a single attack since early June.

Russian real estate records reviewed by Schemes back up the satellite evidence. On March 4, 2025, local occupation authorities handed over land under the airfield to the Russian Defense Ministry’s Crimean property agency, confirming the airport’s shift from civilian to military use.

Kerch airport last saw regular passenger flights in 2007, according to local online forums. After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the site was used as a waiting area for cargo trucks near a ferry crossing.

On March 19, 2025, local media reported that this function was moved elsewhere, with officials citing a “reorganization of operations.”