Russia builds naval drone base in Crimea: What is Moscow preparing for?

Russia has built hangars on the shore of Lake Donuzlav in occupied Crimea, and open-source intelligence analysts believe the structures are intended for naval drones.

There is no recorded evidence so far that Russian forces are actively using such drones in combat. The new infrastructure may nevertheless indicate preparations to test the weapons and create facilities for their future deployment.

The hangars could point to plans to operate naval drones in the Black Sea. The construction also highlights that, despite Ukrainian claims that occupied Crimea has effectively ceased to function as a Russian naval base, Russia continues to use the peninsula for military purposes and to station and supply military infrastructure there.