President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that Russia plans to increase drone production nearly tenfold this year. The goal is to ramp up production to around 1.4 million drones to bolster the country’s military efforts in Ukraine.
The Role of Drones in the Ukraine Conflict
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the war has heavily relied on artillery and drone strikes. The 1,000-kilometre front has been marked by drone use for surveillance, intelligence gathering, and attacks on infrastructure and military assets.
Drones have become crucial in modern warfare, particularly in this conflict. They have been used to target infantry, sabotage key facilities, and strike arsenals, proving their effectiveness in both terrorising troops and collecting vital battlefield data.
Putin’s Vision for Increased Drone Production
At a meeting in St Petersburg, Putin revealed that Russia delivered around 140,000 drones of various types to its armed forces in 2023. Looking ahead, the country aims to ramp up production to nearly 1.4 million units.
Putin stressed the importance of quickly responding to battlefield demands, stating, “Whoever reacts faster to these demands on the battlefield wins.” He highlighted that Russia is making almost weekly advancements in drone technology, emphasising the need for speed in production.
Drones’ Impact and Future Developments
Both Russia and Ukraine have purchased drones from abroad and have ramped up domestic production. Inexpensive first-person view (FPV) drones, originally designed for civilian use, have become effective battlefield tools. These drones, often loaded with explosives, are guided by pilots to crash into their targets, causing significant damage for relatively low costs.
One notable recent event was a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack that triggered a massive explosion at an arsenal in Russia’s Tver region. Putin acknowledged the growing drone threat and emphasised the need to strengthen Russia’s drone defences, including technology to detect, confuse, and shoot down attacking drones.
Putin concluded by emphasising the urgency of serial drone production, saying, “The key task is to produce a wide range of aerial unmanned vehicles as quickly as possible.”
(With Inputs from Reuters)
