Russian press demonstrates ‘largest drone assembly plant in the world’

(MENAFN) Russian state TV channel Zvezda has showcased what it claims to be the world's largest drone assembly plant, located in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, over 1,200 kilometers from the front lines in Ukraine. The facility specializes in producing thousands of drones, primarily for use in the ongoing conflict.

The factory’s primary output is the Geran drone, described as “simple, inexpensive, mass-produced, and highly accurate.” Footage aired on Sunday revealed rows of drone airframes standing taller than an average person. Timur Shagivaleev, Alabuga’s general director, said production has exceeded expectations, noting that output is now nine times higher than initially planned, though he did not specify the timeframe.

The Geran is a long-range loitering munition featuring a delta-wing design and a rear pusher propeller. It carries a payload of 40-50 kilograms, cruises at around 180 kilometers per hour, and has a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers.

According to the report, much of the workforce consists of young people recruited from a local college established by those managing the plant. The facility itself was constructed from scratch within the economic zone, which before the Ukraine conflict focused on attracting foreign technology and fostering import substitution.

The Zvezda feature also highlighted a section of the plant dedicated to producing smaller reconnaissance and strike drones, some equipped with fiber-optic cables to resist electronic warfare.

Russia has relied heavily on mass-produced drones during the Ukraine conflict to target Western-supplied military equipment, troop positions, and infrastructure. Ukrainian officials have reported recent attacks involving hundreds of such drones. Moscow insists its strikes are strictly against military targets and are in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian areas and infrastructure.

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