A manufacturing plant in Russia’s Tatarstan region has significantly scaled up its production of Iranian-designed drones, using a range of Chinese components, and recruiting a low-skilled workforce of Russian teenagers and African women,

Russia’s drone strikes on Ukraine have increased sixfold in four months. The offensive is being fueled by a facility in Russia’s southern Tatarstan region, which is ramping up production with the help of a low-skilled workforce of Russian students.

Secret plant in Russia increases drone production for war against Ukraine The attack targeted a fortified facility used by Russia’s forces for storing, maintaining, and repairing kamikaze drones. According to the General Staff,

Russia continues to scale up the production of Shahed drones ahead of its winter campaign against Ukraine in 2024-2025, despite sanctions and technical restrictions. Source: ISW Quote: "CNN, citing Ukrainian defense intelligence sources,

The battlefield in Ukraine has taken to the skies, as Russia floods the frontlines with waves of drones. Behind this relentless assault is a secretive factory in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, producing thousands of drones using Iranian designs,

In 2023, the factory produced 2,738 Shahed drones, and by the first nine months of 2024, it more than doubled this output, manufacturing 5,760 drones. According to anonymous sources, the factory is also assembling thousands of “fake” drones aimed at exhausting Ukraine’s air defense systems.