Russia Builds Blast-Resistant Aircraft Shelters at Airbases After Ukrainian Drone Strikes.

On July 29, 2025, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence released an unclassified intelligence update revealing that Russia has begun constructing hardened aircraft shelters at airbases near the Ukrainian border. This development comes in response to the growing effectiveness of Ukrainian one-way attack unmanned aerial system (OWA UAS) strikes against Russian military infrastructure. The move marks a significant shift in Moscow’s approach to airbase protection and raises questions about future aerial warfare dynamics in the region, as reported by UK Defence Intelligence. 
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These facilities likely aim to accommodate high-value Russian Aerospace Forces assets such as Su-30SM and Su-34 fighter-bombers previously stationed in the region, and may serve as storage or staging areas for long-range munitions intended for strikes deep into Ukrainian territory (Picture source: U.K. MoD)

At the center of this infrastructure program are key Russian airfields including Millerovo, Kursk Vostochny, and Hvardiiske, where the construction of reinforced aircraft shelters has been detected through satellite imagery and open-source intelligence. These shelters feature dome-shaped rooftops, thick blast-resistant doors, and are reinforced with earthen coverings to provide additional protection against drone and missile attacks. Notably, Millerovo Air Base, located just 17 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and targeted as recently as July 22, has seen the emergence of eight new drive-through shelters that are reportedly nearing operational readiness. These facilities likely aim to accommodate high-value Russian Aerospace Forces assets such as Su-30SM and Su-34 fighter-bombers previously stationed in the region, and may serve as storage or staging areas for long-range munitions intended for strikes deep into Ukrainian territory.

The strategic implications of these fortified structures are significant. By investing in hardened shelters, Russia seeks to ensure the survivability of its frontline aviation assets and reduce the operational effectiveness of Ukrainian UAV raids, particularly those conducted under the broader “Pavutyna” (Spiderweb) campaign. These protective measures also reflect a shift toward more static and defensively postured air operations, potentially limiting Russia’s flexibility but enhancing asset retention. Militarily, such shelters are designed to withstand the blast effects from low-yield warheads or drone-delivered munitions, although they are not impervious to advanced Western weaponry.

Systems such as the U.S.-supplied Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles, or Ukraine’s domestically modified Neptune and Hrim-2 missiles could pose a viable threat to these structures if intelligence and targeting accuracy are sufficient. However, hitting reinforced shelters would likely require either direct strikes with precision-guided heavy payloads or a coordinated saturation attack capable of overwhelming localized defenses.

Geopolitically, the shelter construction underscores Russia's recognition of the growing reach and impact of Ukrainian unmanned capabilities. It also reflects broader concerns within the Kremlin over the vulnerability of critical military assets, concerns exacerbated by recent redeployments of strategic bombers to far-flung bases such as Anadyr, near the U.S. border. This physical shift of high-value platforms further illustrates the anxiety within Russian command circles about asset survivability in the face of evolving Ukrainian strike capabilities. The decision to cancel this year’s Russian Navy Day parades due to security concerns, adds another layer of context to the domestic perception of heightened vulnerability.

This defensive expansion at forward-deployed airbases near Ukraine marks a pivotal moment in the war’s technological evolution. The proliferation of long-range, low-cost drones capable of striking inside Russian territory has compelled a major nuclear power to reconfigure its tactical infrastructure, a remarkable shift three years into the conflict. As the war enters a phase defined by asymmetric aerial threats, Russia’s shelter construction program is both a testament to Ukraine’s growing strike reach and a signal of how airpower survivability doctrines are being rewritten in real time. The success of these shelters will depend not only on their physical resilience, but also on Russia’s ability to integrate them into a coherent air defense architecture capable of pre-empting future drone incursions.

This construction campaign does not suggest invincibility, but it clearly marks a shift in Russia’s strategic posture, a transition toward protracted, infrastructure-based defensive planning. The decision to invest in reinforced aircraft shelters signals a growing recognition within the Russian military command that rear-area airbases are no longer immune from attack. It indicates that Moscow is preparing for a sustained period of vulnerability, anticipating that Ukrainian long-range strikes, particularly those involving unmanned aerial systems, will continue to challenge the safety of its critical military infrastructure deep inside national territory. Rather than a temporary adjustment, the scope and pace of construction suggest a structural response to what is now seen as a permanent feature of modern conflict: the erosion of traditional safe zones by cheap, agile, and precise threats.