'First such operation in modern history' — Ukraine destroys Russia's drone base at occupied Donetsk Airport

Ukrainian drone units have carried out a series of successful attacks on the Russian-occupied Donetsk Airport, sabotaging Moscow's attempt to turn the facility into a military base, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) reported on June 4.

The USF's 14th regiment is "systematically destroying enemy infrastructure, making the airport's operation impossible," the military said.

Occupying Russian forces had converted the Donetsk Airport into a strategic launch pad for Shahed-type UAVs, the cheap but deadly attack drones Russia sends by the hundreds to terrorize Ukrainian cities in overnight attacks. These are operated by Russia's elite Rubikon drone unit, which is based at the airport.

The airport also served as a logistics hub for the Russian military, the USF's 14th regiment said.

"A decision was made to carry out systematic preemptive strikes that will disrupt enemy launches and reduce the number of enemy drones that will once again fly to attack kindergartens, high-rise buildings, and hospitals," said Serafym "Falcon" Hordiienko, the USF 14th regiment officer who planned the operation.

Hordiienko described the strike campaign on the Donetsk Airport as "the first such operation in modern history."

Ukrainian drone operators have systematically dismantled the base by destroying launch pads and transport vehicles, while also targeting crews on the runway, the USF said. The strikes have damaged key engineering equipment, fuel stations, and logistics hubs.

USF strikes have also destroyed ammunition depots and Shahed launch pads, the military said.

In tandem with these attacks, the USF is hunting mobile fire groups and Russian air defense units in order to force flight cancelations, "completely degrading the airport ecosystem."

"An important task for us was the application of the concept of asymmetric influence, where maximum combat results were achieved through minimal yet precise actions," Hordiienko said. "For us, as a unit of strategic influence, the enemy's ability to carry out terrorist attacks on Ukrainian cities is a personal matter."

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify all of the military's claims at the time of publication.

The USF's report follows multiple reports of Ukrainian strikes on the Donetsk Airport, as Ukraine steps up its "middle strike" campaign against Russian operations near the front line.

Ukrainian forces used long-range SCALP (Storm Shadow) missiles and U.S.-made ATACMS to strike the facility in March 2026, damaging the airport's launch site for Shahed-type drones. In December and November 2025, the USF struck drone storage facilities at the airport.

The Donetsk Airport ceased operations in May 2014 following the beginning of the Russian occupation of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The site was one of the last holdouts for Ukrainian soldiers in the city.

Ukrainian forces regularly strike military facilities in Russian-occupied areas that supply weapons, fuel, and equipment to Russian troops.