Russia steps up long-term domestic UAV production says Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service

Image of a downed Shahed-136, which was discovered by the police on 17 March 2024 in Vinnytsia Oblast in central Ukraine. (National Police of Ukraine)

The Russian government is advancing large-scale adoption of “drone technology” and its integration into the armed forces, the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said in a report published on 12 February.

The domestic production of unmanned systems is seen as a “likely top priority for Russia”, particularly after the January 2024 launch of the National Project Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Bezpilotnye Aviatsionye Sistemy: BAS), according to the report.

UAV production

More than 400 Russian companies are working to create facilities for research, development, and manufacturing of unmanned systems as part of the project, according to a statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 28 January 2025. At the time, he said 48 centres for large-scale production are planned to be set up within the next 10 years. “There are already 15 centres, but we can do better.” Russia plans to allocate on average EUR1 billion (USD1.03 billion) annually to this project, according to the Estonian intelligence report.

The integration of private manufacturers of unmanned systems is part of the Kremlin's plan to control the production and technology. The Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service also believes that this is part of Russia's wider effort to reduce its dependency on foreign technologies and components.