Vladimir Putin openly admitted: Russia is sending approximately 4,000 FPV drones to the front line every day, yet their number vẫn remains insufficient to ensure effective combat operations
These statements were made during a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission on April 23, and their content quickly spread through the Kremlin’s official press center. The head of the Kremlin emphasized that, despite a significant level of production, there is still a shortage of these high-tech means of destruction. According to him, last year Russian defense enterprises fulfilled all orders within the framework of the state program, providing military formations with modern weapons in a short time and with high quality. Specifically, he reported that the Ministry of Defense received over 4,000 units of armored vehicles, 180 combat aircraft and helicopters, which significantly replenished the Russian army’s arsenal. Putin focused mainly on issues related to the use of unmanned systems. He highlighted that around four thousand FPV drones, controlled via virtual reality systems — so-called FPV technology — are sent to the front daily. However, despite efforts by the defense industry and the Ministry of Defense to ramp up production, there is still a shortage of these means of destruction. The senior official sincerely admitted that their manufacturing and supply mechanisms need faster scaling and improvement. “I know that many of those participating in our meeting understand the criticality of the situation — these means of destruction are still not sufficiently widespread, and their quantity does not match the scale of hostilities on the front. It’s not just about the number; it’s about their necessity in combat conditions and their ability to influence the course of battles,” Putin stated. The Russian leader added that the Ministry of Defense and industry representatives are making every effort to accelerate production. He is confident that all planned capacity-building measures, including in the field of FPV drone manufacturing, will be implemented in the shortest possible time. According to him, this technology already constitutes one of the key factors in the combat readiness of Russian forces and significantly influences the outcomes of hostilities. These words confirm that Russia considers FPV drones an important component of its tactics at the front, and their production and deployment are receiving particular attention from the country’s leadership. At the same time, the overall level of supply of these means of destruction remains a problem that requires immediate resolution to achieve greater combat effectiveness and control over the combat situation. Overall, Putin’s statements indicate that the Kremlin understands the criticality of the situation on the front and seeks to activate all resources to increase the production of high-tech means of destruction. The military-industrial strategy is currently focused on rapid scaling in this area, because without modern and effective command and strike systems, Russia will not be able to adequately counter the challenges facing its army in this unprecedented war.