Ukraine Exposes Destruction of Russian Base Training Cadets with Iranian Drones
Ukraine's Navy has revealed satellite imagery showing the destruction of a Russian warehouse used for launching Iranian-made drones and training military cadets.
A Facebook post by the Ukrainian Navy detailed, "New satellite images confirm the destruction on the night of June 21 of the Shahed-136/Geran-2 storage and preparation facilities, training buildings, control, and communication points of these UAVs located in the Krasnodar Territory."
Additional images shared on social media depicted the devastation with one warehouse entirely demolished and another significantly damaged. The assault coincides with Russia's claim of downing 114 Ukrainian drones targeting oil refineries and military installations in southern Russia, which purportedly resulted in one civilian casualty from falling debris.
Kyiv's naval officials reported that the strike, which occurred late Friday night, killed several trainers and cadets learning to operate the Iranian Shahed drones which have been used on Ukrainian civilian sites since the war in 2022.
The operation was orchestrated in collaboration with Ukrainian intelligence, highlighting a military response against threats posed by the collaboration between Russia and Iran in utilizing drone technology against Ukraine.
Data from Planet Labs, a US-based satellite company, pinpointed the facility directly across the Sea of Azov from the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, an action not recognized by the majority of the international community.
Iran has been a key ally to Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. Since mid-2022, Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of Shahed kamikaze drones, which have been widely used to attack civilian infrastructure and urban areas in Ukraine.
