Former UN Inspector, the head of the American Analytical Center “Institute of Science and International Security (ISIS), David Olbrait has been tracking the expansion of the special economic zone” Alabuga “since 2022. According to him, the decision to develop the plant indicates that the Russian government is tuned to increase production volumes and long -term contracts.
Russia may plan to use Alabugu not only to equip the Russian army, but also in the future to sell its drones to foreign customers, Olbright said.
The plant had previously expanded, as a result of which in August last year the number of attacks of Russian drones to Ukraine began to increase. However, the latest satellite images show even a faster growth over the past few months, at the same time as the number of enforcement attacks on Ukraine has reached a record values.
Satellite pictures show that from the end of winter dozens of new buildings have appeared on the territory of the enterprise, including, according to experts, dormitories and production facilities. Satellite pictures taken from the end of 2024 to mid -July of this year show the presence of at least eight new warehouse structures located near buildings previously identified as workshops where Shaheda is made. Some of them are still under construction.
CNN notes that there are many buildings that can serve to live workers. More than half of these premises recorded in the picture on July 12, on June 9, was not there.
Also in the pictures, CNN counted more than 100 khaki tents next to warehouses associated with the production of drones.
Context
After the start of a full -scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia regularly fired at Ukrainian settlements, including rockets, bombs and drums.
The fact that the Russian Federation wants to launch up to 500 shock drones every day in March 2025, said Vadim Skibitsky, deputy head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
On May 25, The Economist wrote that Russia significantly increased the production of drones, which means that attacks on Ukraine can become more massive, in particular that the Russian Federation will be able to release up to 1 thousand drones in one attack.
On July 20, a report of the Propaganda television channel “Star” about the production of drieders like Shahed, which showed a factory in Alabuga, appeared on the Web.
