Russia plans to produce over 35,000 Shahed drones by the end of 2025
According to Ukrainian intelligence, by the end of 2025, Russia aims to manufacture more than 35,000 attack drones of the Shahed type, marking a significant escalation in the military capabilities of the aggressor nation.
Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, stated that Russians are actively increasing production rates of unmanned aerial vehicles and do not intend to stop at these numbers.
He emphasized that their plans extend further, and they continue to expand production capacities, raising concerns in Ukraine given the use of such drones for targeted strikes and terror.
These drones have already caused destruction around Pokrovsk, where areas are covered with fiber optics from FPV drones.
Additionally, he mentioned that Russia has already recruited approximately 80% of its planned 403,000 contract soldiers, and is expected to meet its recruitment targets by year’s end, reducing the need for mobilization efforts.
Reports from The Telegraph reveal that Chinese companies supplied Russian sanctioned firms with drone parts worth at least 63 million dollars during 2023–2024.
Of this, about 14.3 million dollars were received by Russian companies involved in the production of Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones, indicating ongoing military-technological collaborations between the countries.