Kathrine Frich
Mistakes can happen to the best of us, but when you want to portray an image of a well oiled propaganda machine, mistakes like these, shouldn’t happen.
Russian state television has accidentally exposed the location of a secret airfield used for anti-drone operations.
What was meant to be a patriotic propaganda feature instead handed Ukrainian analysts the coordinates of a covert base housing modified Yak-52 and Cessna aircraft used to shoot down Ukrainian drones.
Propaganda gone wrong
The footage aired on Russian state media was intended to highlight “innovative military technology”, a supposedly modern adaptation of the old Soviet Yak-52 trainer aircraft.
But instead of showing off cutting-edge defense systems, the video revealed familiar designs already used by Ukraine months earlier, exposing Moscow’s attempts to copy its rival’s tactics.
A not-so-secret airfield exposed
Experts from Defense Express analyzed the footage and discovered that the Yak-52 featured in the report, numbered RA-1874G, belonged to the Russian special forces unit Bars-Sarmat.
Using visible landmarks, they pinpointed the airfield to the privately owned Korsak facility, roughly 20 kilometers southeast of occupied Melitopol in southern Ukraine.
Satellite proof of the site
Satellite imagery confirmed that the airfield had recently undergone renovations.
Photos taken between August 30 and September 7 revealed a freshly laid asphalt runway and new infrastructure matching the details seen on Russian TV.
The narrow taxiway, distinctive hangars, and metallic roofing all matched perfectly with the broadcast footage.
“They copied Ukraine’s playbook”
According to Ukrainian military analysts, the modifications showcased by Russian television are not original.
“These are merely copies of Ukraine’s earlier counter-drone tactics,” Defense Express noted.
Ukrainian pilots had previously repurposed Yak-52s in similar roles, targeting Russian Orlan and Zala reconnaissance drones.
From trainer planes to drone hunters
The Yak-52, originally a civilian and training aircraft, has been crudely converted into a light combat platform.
A gunner now sits behind the pilot, armed with an automatic rifle.
Some models even appear equipped with twin Kord 12.7mm machine guns mounted beneath the fuselage, according to footage verified by analysts and reports shared on the military tracking account Status-6.
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This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation
