20,000 drones in six months: Drone factories fueling the war in Ukraine

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In recent months, the war in Ukraine has witnessed a significant shift in the nature of Russian attacks, with Moscow increasingly relying on drones.

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According to various reports, including an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, Russia carried out an unprecedented attack yesterday using over 700 drones and decoy munitions in a single night, targeting cities and strategic sites in western Ukraine.

This major escalation highlights Moscow’s growing ability to manufacture and deploy modern military drone technology, now a central element in the ongoing conflict.

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New production lines
The report states that Russia has established several drone manufacturing plants across its territory in recent months—some in central industrial zones, others in remote regions less vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes.

These facilities produce not only short-range kamikaze drones but are also developing more advanced generations, including long-range attack drones capable of striking vital Ukrainian infrastructure with precision.

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By 2025, Russia reportedly launched more than 20,000 drones and decoys—a record number that places immense pressure on Ukraine’s air defense systems, which struggle to cope with such mass, coordinated assaults.

It started with Iran
At the beginning of the war, Russia relied heavily on Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones, which proved effective in conducting accurate, exhausting strikes against both civilian and military infrastructure.

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However, according to the report, Russia did not stop at imports. It built domestic production plants under Iranian license or through reverse engineering, leading to what experts call the “Russian Shahed Project”.

These improved versions often incorporate Western navigation technologies re-exported through third-party countries.

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A full-fledged state initiative
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Russian government is providing nearly unlimited funding to this industry, treating it as a national security priority. The Russian Ministry of Defense directly oversees the production lines spread across the Russian steppe and recruits engineers from top universities as well as talent from abroad, particularly from Central Asia.

Military experts say Russia now employs a mix of cheap drones to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and precision drones to strike sensitive targets such as power stations and military warehouses.

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Drones are typically launched in dense waves during the night, taking advantage of the fatigue of Ukrainian air defense crews.

Ukraine’s response: limited but evolving
On the other side, Ukraine is working to strengthen its air defense capabilities. It has recently received advanced Western systems such as Patriot and IRIS-T, but still suffers from a shortage of suitable munitions to counter the waves of low-cost drones.

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Kyiv is also developing its own offensive drones, yet the production gap remains stark, according to the report.

The Wall Street Journal concludes that the war in Ukraine has entered a new phase, where drones have become a strategic weapon on par with fighter jets or ballistic missiles.

As Russia continues to scale up production, Ukraine will face an increasingly difficult challenge in securing its skies—unless Western countries ramp up military support urgently and effectively.

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