NASA Satellites Detect Fires at Russian Tsymbulova Drone Launch Site

Fires on the grounds of the Russian Tsymbulova drone launch site in the Oryol region were detected by NASA’s FIRMS satellites on the night of October 3.

This was reported by the Telegram channel 𝔽𝕒𝕝𝕔𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ᵐᵃᵖ.

Most likely, this is the result of strikes by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, as Russian monitoring channels reported drone activity in the area that night.

Preliminary reports indicate that several fire outbreaks were detected near a site used for the storage, preparation, and launch of Russian drones.

Tsymbulova

The Tsymbulova drone port is a large Russian military complex near the village of the same name, used to launch drones—including the Geran-4 and Geran-5—into Ukrainian territory.

The distance from the facility to the Ukrainian border is approximately 175–180 km.

Expansion of the drone port

Russia continues to actively expand and fortify the Tsymbulova drone port. Satellite imagery as of September 29 shows a new area with eight dome-shaped shelters for jet drones and an additional launch pad southeast of the launch sites. Nearby, paved areas have been prepared for the installation of eight more shelters and two launch systems.

The Russians have fully completed six hangars for strike UAVs, construction of which began in early September. Along the access road to the drone port, construction of 14 more new hangars has been observed.

Ground-based shelters for equipment were converted into underground facilities, which significantly increased their protection against direct hits from Ukrainian UAVs. Near the launch sites for the Geran-5, areas were prepared for six additional launchers, and towers are being erected to support anti-drone nets and communications.

In addition, the Russians are preparing to expand the drone port further—in the northeastern part of the facility, construction equipment is preparing a site for new warehouses.

Despite the construction, the Ukrainian Defense Forces regularly strike this facility. Ukrainian drones hit, in particular, bunkers and hangars. Some of them penetrated the shelters, causing explosions and damage to the structures, and debris from destroyed UAVs was found at the launch preparation site.