- Russia's Alabuga factory now produces Shahed-136 drones almost entirely independently
- The factory manufactures over 5,500 drones monthly, reducing costs from $200,000 to $70,000
- Iran is uneasy about losing control over drone design and production to Russia
Russia's Alabuga drone factory is now upgrading and producing Shahed-136 drones nearly independently, a move that's said to be causing tensions with Iran.
Russia's biggest drone manufacturing complex is almost completely self-sufficient in making Iranian-designed Shahed-136 attack drones. Western intelligence sources indicate this is putting a strain on relations between Moscow and Tehran, CNN reported. The Alabuga factory, in the Tatarstan region some 965 kms east of Moscow, now produces almost all the parts for the drones locally.
“Aluminium bars come in, engines are made from them. Microelectronics are made from electronic chips. Fuselages are made from carbon fibre and fibreglass. This is a complete location,” CEO Timur Shagivaleev said in a Russian state television documentary, reported CNN.
The Shahed-136, or Geran, according to Russia, has been one of the mainstays of Moscow's campaign of long-range strikes in Ukraine. Initially shipped from Iran following the February 2022 invasion, the drones are now produced almost exclusively in Russia.
Latest satellite images examined by CNN indicate ongoing growth at the facility. Ukraine's Defence Intelligence informed CNN that the factory is producing over 5,500 units monthly, much higher than original production levels, and at significantly less expense. In 2022, it had cost Russia approximately $200,000 (Rs 1.75 crore) to produce one drone. By 2025, that cost had dropped to about $70,000 (Rs 61.36 lakh).
According to Ukrainian authorities, Moscow has also equipped the drones with improved communication equipment, warheads and extended-range batteries, making them harder to shoot down.
CNN, citing a Western intelligence official, said that Iran initially welcomed Russia's local production but is now becoming nervous. The official indicated that Tehran fears losing control of the design and production of the Shahed.
Ali Akbar Dareini, a Tehran-based analyst for the Centre for Strategic Studies, affiliated with the Iranian president's office, said Iran might have anticipated greater Russian support, especially when Israel launched a 12-day bombing campaign against Iran's nuclear installations in June. “Iran may have expected Russia to do more or take more steps without being required to do so,” he said.
The Western intelligence official described Russia's stance as evidence of the “purely transactional and utilitarian nature” of the partnership, telling CNN, “This explicit disengagement demonstrates that Russia never intervenes beyond its immediate interests, even when a partner – here an essential supplier of drones – is attacked.”
Despite tensions, analysts believe Moscow could still assist Tehran by sending back upgraded drones or related technology. David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector and head of the Institute for Science and International Security, told CNN that some of Iran's drone facilities had been damaged in Israeli strikes and suggested Russia might supply updated Shaheds to help rebuild stockpiles. “Then Iran could reverse engineer or receive the technology to make a better quality Shahed,” he said.
Dareini told CNN that despite the current friction, Iran “has got, and very likely will get the things it needs for its own security…whether it's military hardware, whether it's in terms of economic cooperation, technology and whatever it needs.”
