On August 1, 2025, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) released the identity of the Russian military brigade commander responsible for launching Shahed strike UAVs against Ukraine. According to the DIU, the officer in question is Lieutenant Colonel Ruslan Nehrub of the Russian Armed Forces. He commands the separate unmanned aviation brigade “GROM-Kaskad” (military unit 35666-B).

This brigade is stationed in the town of Korenovsk, located in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai. The location is logistically advantageous: both the M-4 highway and a major railway line run through the area. Southbound, the route leads toward Krasnodar; to the north, it connects efficiently with the Republic of Tatarstan, which hosts the Alabuga industrial zone, where the notorious Shahed drones are manufactured.

Satellite imagery reveals the presence of an airbase that is likely used to launch long-range strike UAVs. If confirmed, it would be reasonable to assume that Shaheds launched from this location enter Ukrainian airspace from a southeastern direction. This direction has been confirmed as a common flight path for Shahed drone incursions into Ukraine.

As seen in open-source intelligence and satellite images, this very route is indeed one of the corridors through which Shahed drones penetrate Ukrainian airspace. Historical imagery indicates that this airbase has long been used to host attack helicopters, but starting in early 2014, there was a marked increase in construction activity.

A satellite photo from 2014 shows only small runways, a few helicopters, and minor support structures. However, by the spring of that year—coinciding with the beginning of Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine—construction began on a full-scale runway, equipment storage areas, parking zones, and aircraft hangars.

By 2022, the base had undergone a dramatic transformation. Its infrastructure had expanded significantly: more buildings, improved access roads, hardened runways, and upgraded airfield facilities became visible. The modernization and militarization of this airbase reflect a clear strategic intent.

The expansion of the Korenovsk airbase directly correlates with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the so-called “Russian Spring” in the Donbas region. These developments began well before Shahed drones were integrated into the Russian military arsenal. By the time of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the airbase was not only operational—it was already being actively used.

Oleksandr Demchenko, consultant at the Come Back Alive Initiative Center