Ukraine strikes Russian drone storage at occupied Donetsk Airport, commander says
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian drone storage facility at Donetsk Airport in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi said on Dec. 30.
Ukrainian forces regularly strike military facilities in Russian-occupied areas that supply weapons, fuel, and equipment to Russian troops.
Russian forces have set up a base at the airport to train and launch Shahed, Geran, and Gerbera drones, according to Brovdi. Satellite images from August 2025 also showed Russia repairing the runway, likely to expand attack drone operations from Russian-occupied territory.
The Ukrainian strike hit a drone logistics hub, warehouses with combat units, drone storage facilities, a preflight training center, and a location housing military and technical personnel, Brovdi said.
Brovdi noted that the operation was planned by fighters from the 414th Separate Brigade, known as "Madyar's Birds," in coordination with the newly created Deep Strike Center, and that Ukraine’s 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces carried out the strike.
Donetsk Airport ceased operations in May 2014 following the beginning of the Russian occupation of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
Ukrainian forces defended the airport for 242 days before withdrawing completely on Jan. 23, 2015, after Russian troops destroyed the control tower and one of the terminals. According to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, 97 Ukrainian soldiers were killed during the battles for control of Donetsk Airport.
Since the Russian occupation began, the airport has remained closed to civilian air traffic.
