According to an open-source intelligence report released by the UK Ministry of Defence on July 29, 2025, Russia has begun constructing blast-resistant aircraft shelters at military airbases near the Ukrainian border. This move represents a significant strategic shift in response to the growing impact of Ukraine’s one-way drone strikes targeting Russian airbases.
Satellite imagery and open-source analysis reveal the construction of reinforced structures at key locations such as Millerovo, Kursk Vostochny, and Hvardiiske. These new shelters feature dome-shaped roofs, thick blast-resistant doors, and additional earthen reinforcements. Notably, at Millerovo Air Base—just 17 kilometers from the Ukrainian border—eight new drive-through shelters are nearly complete. These shelters are reportedly intended to protect high-value Russian combat aircraft like the Su-30SM and Su-34, and to store or stage long-range munitions for use in deeper strikes into Ukrainian territory.
This infrastructure project is part of Russia’s broader effort to safeguard its frontline air power. It also serves as a direct response to Ukraine’s ongoing drone campaign known as “Pavutyna” (Spiderweb), aimed at degrading Russian military assets. However, the development also signals a shift in Russia’s air operations toward a more static and defensive posture—potentially reducing flexibility but increasing survivability.
Although these shelters are engineered to withstand low-yield munitions, they do not provide absolute protection against advanced Western weaponry. U.S.-supplied Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB), Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles, or Ukraine’s domestically produced Neptune and Hrim-2 missiles could pose a serious threat to these structures if paired with accurate intelligence. Neutralizing such targets would typically require precision-guided heavy munitions or saturation strikes capable of overwhelming localized air defenses.
From a geopolitical and strategic standpoint, this construction effort underscores the Kremlin’s growing concern over Ukraine’s expanding drone capabilities. Russia’s redeployment of strategic bombers to remote bases such as Anadyr reflects a deepening worry over the vulnerability of high-value platforms. The cancellation of this year’s Navy Day celebrations for security reasons further illustrates a rising sense of domestic vulnerability.
This fortified construction marks a turning point in the third year of the war, highlighting a shift in the technological balance. The ability of low-cost, long-range drones to penetrate deep into Russian territory has forced a major military power to reconsider and reconfigure its tactical infrastructure. The once-assumed “safe zones” are rapidly losing relevance, and even a nuclear-armed state must now permanently protect critical assets against agile, inexpensive, and precise threats.
In conclusion, while these new shelters do not render Russian airbases invulnerable, they represent a long-term, structural response to a changing battlefield reality. Moscow’s efforts to reinforce its airbases show that Ukraine’s long-range drone and missile capabilities are now viewed as a central and enduring threat. This development marks the beginning of a new era in which the preservation of air power and operational sustainability is being redefined in real time.
