Devastating blows to Russian Alabuga and Izhevsk drone plants_ They pose threat to Europe, too

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At the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia launched approximately 150-200 drones per month. Now, according to an analysis by Foreign Policy, it produces and launches almost 5,000 drones per month.
The publication recalled that on September 7, Russia carried out the largest airstrike on Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. In just one night, the occupiers launched 860 drones and Shahed missiles.
Just two days later, approximately 19 Russian drones violated Polish airspace, prompting NATO to scramble fighter jets to shoot down enemy targets. A few days later, a similar incursion into Romanian airspace took place.
The publication believes that such incidents are part of a broader trend in which Moscow has made cheap strike drones the basis of its air campaign. Since the beginning of 2025 alone, Russia has launched more than 33,000 Shahed drones into Ukraine. During the same period in 2024, only 4,800 drones were launched.
The publication notes that launches of cruise and ballistic missiles have remained relatively stable. This change demonstrates the evolution of Russia's strategy, which involves maintaining high pressure on Ukraine's air defenses.
The publication's analysis also notes that the key to Moscow's strategy for using affordable drones is their scalability. They are produced at several factories across Russia, in particular in Alabuz and Izhevsk. Ukraine is expected to deal devastating blows to these factories. There have already been attempts to do so.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian defense forces destroyed a large Russian ammunition depot in the occupied settlement of Bohdanivka, Luhansk region, eliminating stocks of high-precision tank shells and a large number of drones. According to a September 22 statement from the General Staff of Ukraine, Russian forces had set up the facility as a distribution point for the 17th Tank Regiment of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division. The facility stored various types of ammunition, including ZUBK14 guided tank shells designed to engage armored targets at ranges beyond the capabilities of conventional tank ammunition. The General Staff reported that the warehouse held thousands of artillery and tank shells, as well as tens of thousands of mines, grenades, and cartridges. The supplies also included more than 19,000 drones of various models intended for Russian units operating in Donetsk. These included the Molniya, Boomerang, Vandal Novgorodsky, and Gorynych systems, as well as supporting equipment such as batteries, communication modules, and video transmitters.

According to Foreign Policy, the Russians continue to purchase electronic components for their drones from other countries despite Western sanctions. Russia uses various illegal supply chains to achieve this goal.