Journalists discover possible training ground for Russian operators of combat drones

Radio Liberty’s project Donbas.Realii has found a possible location for the Russian training ground for Shahed drone operators.

Source: Radio Liberty

Details: The training ground is located approximately 8 kilometres southeast of the State Centre for Unmanned Aviation of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation in the city of Kolomna, Moscow Oblast.

Earlier, Ukrainian journalists identified that Russia had sent its UAV operators to Iran for training under the pretext of participating in competitions. In August, four Russian military personnel took part in the Falcon Hunting drone operator competition in Iran. 

Immediately thereafter, attacks by Iranian-made kamikaze drones on Ukrainian cities began. All military personnel identified in the investigation serve in the 924th State Centre of Unmanned Aviation of Russia.

This centre is the only one in the structure of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation that trains drone operators, and it is based in the city of Kolomna (military unit 20924 on Artileriiskaya Street). However, flights are conducted elsewhere.

Donbas.Realii identified the place based on pictures of previous similar competitions held in Russia.

The International Army Games Falcon Hunting were held at the Centre’s training ground in Kolomna in 2019 and 2021. In 2019, the Russian Ministry of Defence actively published photos from the competition.

Russian soldiers are standing in the background of this building:

Російські військові стоять на тлі цієї споруди:

Next to the identified site is a large training ground, which used to belong to the Kolomna Higher Artillery School. This training ground is probably also used for UAV flights.

Other photos from that year's competition, published by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, show a more open area:

Since the instructors from this particular centre had been trained in Iran, it can be assumed that Shahed drone operators are also being taught here.

The distance from the training ground to Moscow is about 100 km, and the distance to the border of Ukraine is about 600 km.

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