Russians Build New Shelters at Lipetsk Airbase to Counter Ukrainian Strikes

Russia is building hardened shelters for aircraft munitions or drones at its Lipetsk airbase.

Satellite imagery from Vantor, shared by researcher Brady Africk, shows the construction of two new shelters, likely made of reinforced concrete.

For camouflage and additional protection, the structures are being covered with a layer of earth. In total, the satellite images show 12 shelters located near the aircraft parking area.

Given the absence of taxiways leading to the structures and their size, they are most likely intended for storing aviation munitions.

Russia is building new hardened aircraft shelters at Lipetsk air base, satellite imagery from @vantortech shows.

This kind of construction has been seen in recent years at more than a dozen bases involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/fbT7mi0uFK

— Brady Africk (@bradyafr) July 27, 2026

Some of these shelters may also be used to store Garbera or Shahed loitering munitions (kamikaze drones).

The shelters are located in the airbase’s dispersal area, where satellite imagery earlier this year identified around 100 fighter jets and ground-attack aircraft of various types.

Ammunition storage facilities at the airbase have previously been targeted. Reports from August 2024 claim that buildings used to store munitions were completely destroyed following a detonation.

More recently, it was reported that a large fire broke out overnight on July 21 in Lipetsk, between the city’s thermal power plant and a local metallurgical plant.