Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced on 8/7 that "Most priority areas in industrial development are included in new national projects to ensure technological leadership. One of these is unmanned aerial vehicles (drones)."
He stated that Russia has manufactured three times the planned number of drones, thanks to significant state financial support for businesses in this sector, including civilian companies.
While Mishustin didn't specify the types or quantities, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes he was referring to the 2025 production plan for both long-range Geran-2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and smaller drone models.
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Geran-2 UAVs awaiting assembly in a photo released in 3/2024. Photo: Soloviev Live |
Geran-2 UAVs awaiting assembly in a photo released in 3/2024. Photo: Soloviev Live
On the same day, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, reported that Russia launched 1.6 times more missiles and UAVs in June than in May. Frontelligence Insight, a Ukrainian intelligence analysis group, stated that Russia has used a total of 28,743 suicide drones since the beginning of the conflict, with 2,763 used in June alone, representing 10% of the total.
The group estimates that Russia produced an average of more than 60 Geran-2 long-range suicide drones per day, nearly 1,850 per month, between February and April.
The ISW noted on 8/7 that increased production of long-range UAVs allows Russia to deploy more drones for daily attacks on Ukrainian territory. This advancement also enables Russia to use Geran-2 drones for frontline target strikes, rather than solely for attacks on infrastructure deep within Ukraine.
In the attack on several Ukrainian cities on the morning of 9/7, the Russian military deployed a total of 728 suicide and decoy drones along with 13 missiles of various types, marking Moscow's largest attack since the start of the conflict.
In addition to increasing production, Russia is also focusing on improving the operational efficiency of its UAVs. Moscow has significantly upgraded the Geran-2 series multiple times, including equipping it with a new 90 kg warhead, combining electro-optical sensors with AI technology for target recognition and guiding subsequent strikes.
Russia is also believed to have deployed the Geran-3, equipped with a jet engine, boasting a much larger warhead and higher speed compared to its propeller-driven predecessor.
Major Robert Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Drone Forces, warned on 5/7 that Russia has the capacity to deploy 1,000 or more long-range UAVs per day in the near future.
Pham Giang (Izvestia, Kyiv Post)
