No, they mean that metadata and other means - such as using satellite photos and videos to triangulate landmarks in photos - has been used to pinpoint the location of the airfield from the published photos.
while a state media news clip shows carrier-borne fighters have been based at a naval air base
https://www.bellingcat.com/tag/geolocation/
https://www.bellingcat.com/resources...o-geolocation/
https://www.bellingcat.com/resources...-verification/