Russia probably already producing 2,000 Shahed attack drones per month – Defense Express
Analysts at Defense Express estimate that Russia may have reached a production rate of 2,000 Shahed-136 drones per month by the end of 2024. This conclusion is based on the analysis of serial numbers from downed enemy drones.
For instance, a photo from the Anadolu Agency shows the wreckage of a drone with the serial number Ы 11934, which was used in an attack on Kharkiv on December 21. If the serial numbering was consecutive, this indicates that Russia could have produced around 10,000 Shahed UAVs in 2024, according to the publication.
Additionally, analysts have determined that in February 2024, the serial numbers of drones with the index Ы exceeded 2600.
According to observations by Defense Express, initially, the aggressor state used drones with the index М, which were likely assembled in Iran. In 2023, models with the indexes К and КБ appeared, which were already being manufactured in Russia; however, this series is no longer encountered.
Russian production of Shaheds in the special economic zone Alabuga has reached high levels, the article notes. The average indicator of 1,000 units per month throughout the year increased, and by the end of October, a drone with the number "Ы 7069" was recorded.
If the number "Ы 11934" is consecutive, this means that by the end of the year, the production rate had increased to 2,000 units per month, the analysts note. The reasons for such a sharp increase remain unknown.
- On December 21, Russian military propaganda claimed a drone attack on Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Local authorities confirmed a strike on an industrial object. The economic zone Alabuga has established the production of Shaheds.
- On December 23, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate reported that a warehouse containing components for Shahed-136 drones worth $16 million was destroyed in Alabuga.
