Russia has chosen to publicize its Alabuga drone factory, a key part of the Kremlin’s escalating drone offensive on Ukrainian cities. Satellite imagery shows that construction has sharply accelerated at the site in southern Russia, with dozens of new buildings, including dormitories and production facilities, rapidly taking shape since the winter snow melted this year.
Timur Shagivaleev, the director general of Alabuga, appeared on a docuseries called “Military Acceptance,” which aired on Russian defense ministry TV channel Zvezda on July 20. This was the first official glimpse inside the production facility. Shagivaleev was defiant when discussing the plant, quoting a Soviet World War II hero: “You don’t have the right to be afraid.”
The Alabuga factory has been producing Iranian-designed Shahed drones for almost three years and has now fully shifted from being an Iranian franchise to a fully localized production line. Experts say the site’s end goal may be to mass-produce drones for global export.
David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector and head of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a US-based think tank, said Moscow’s decision to lift the lid on the factory shows “the Russian authorities are feeling more confident about their ability to make drones.” Albright’s team at ISIS has assessed that the buildings could accommodate up to 40,000 workers when finished, which would represent “a pretty substantial increase in drone production.”
The site’s expansion is happening rapidly, with at least eight new warehouse-like structures built between late 2024 and mid-July this year. Several are still under construction. The work on new housing units for workers at the site has also begun in earnest, with over 100 identical rectangular buildings either fully or partially built.
Alabuga’s ever-expanding production targets have long presented a staffing problem. The factory has been recruiting teenagers through the Alabuga Polytech college, as well as African women through a foreign outreach scheme, to satisfy a chronic worker shortage in Russia. Shagivaleev was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2024 in part for his association with “the exploitation of underage students to assemble these UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles or drones).”
The Zvezda documentary suggests Alabuga is now a fully self-sufficient production line, with aluminum bars coming in and engines being made from them, microelectronics being made from electric chips, and fuselages being made from carbon fiber and fiberglass. Experts say this could mean Russia is now independent of Iranian components.
The expansion of the Alabuga factory is significant, as Russia’s drone attacks on Ukraine have hit record numbers. In June 2025 alone, Russia fired nearly 5,500 Shahed or similar drones at Ukraine, according to a CNN analysis of Ukrainian air force reports. The distinctive whine of Shaheds is now forcing Ukrainians out of their beds and into shelters and metro stations on an almost-nightly basis.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that “the longer this war continues on our territory, the more warfare technologies evolve, and the greater the threat will be to everyone.” Zelensky added that Ukraine was not just pushing for more air defenses from its allies but would also continue with its own deep strikes on Russian territory.
The Alabuga factory’s expansion and Russia’s escalating drone offensive have significant implications for the conflict in Ukraine. As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the use of drones in warfare is becoming increasingly prominent, and Russia is investing heavily in its drone production capabilities.