Russia intends to significantly ramp up its drone production in the coming years, with a goal to produce more than 32,000 drones annually by 2030, according to First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov. The government also aims for domestic producers to account for 70 percent of the market share. The increased production comes as drones have played a significant role in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides stepping up military production.
Mr. Belousov told TASS that the planned annual production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is almost three times higher than current production volumes, with a targeted 70 percent market share for Russian UAVs. The project will be financed with 696 billion roubles ($7.66 billion) by 2030.
Moscow has increasingly deployed the Iranian-made Shahed drones in its aerial assaults on Ukrainian infrastructure behind the front lines in the east and south of Ukraine. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin has previously expressed that UAVs could have uses beyond the military in virtually all industries.
Russian drones initially posed challenges to Ukrainian air defenses due to their ability to evade detection, requiring new strategies. In response, Ukraine has employed FPV drones, originally designed for civilian use but repurposed for the battlefield, as a cost-effective option for reconnaissance and attacks. The country has also announced plans to produce 11,000 medium- and long-range attack drones and one million FPV drones in 2024.