Russia can produce up to 2,700 Shahed-type drones per month, intelligence says
Russia has the capacity to produce 2,700 Shahed-type "kamikaze" drones every month, Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) spokesperson Andrii Yusov said on Sept. 5.
Moscow has "increased the production of Geran-2s," Yusov said in an interview with Ukrainian news channel Novyny.Live, referring to Russian variants of Iranian-made Shaheds. "Plus a significant number of dummies, without a warhead."
Swarms of Russian drones target cities across Ukraine on a regular basis, including decoy drones used to overwhelm and distract Ukrainian air defenses.
Moscow has ramped up drone production and aerial strikes in recent months, despite U.S.-led efforts to negotiate an end to hostilities.
Since the start of September, Russia has attacked Ukraine with over 1,300 strike drones, as well as nearly 900 guided aerial bombs and up to 50 missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"We see hundreds of Shaheds being used with missiles in combined strikes," Yusov commented, calling it a serious challenge for both Ukrainian defenses and Kyiv's foreign partners whose weapons help protect Ukraine's skies.
Faced with the mounting threat, Ukraine has been seeking innovative solutions to counter Russian drones. In July, Zelensky ordered Ukrainian manufacturers to produce at least 1,000 interceptor drones daily.
July 9 saw Russia launch a record number of drones in a single attack, with 741 unmanned aircraft deployed across Ukraine.
