A manufacturing plant in Russia’s Tatarstan region has significantly scaled up its production of Iranian-designed drones, using a range of Chinese components, and recruiting a low-skilled workforce of Russian teenagers and African women,

There is a constant buzzing of drones of all sizes above the battlefield in Ukraine as both sides are using unmanned aerial systems in great numbers. Drones have become so important throughout the war that the Ukrainian military has established a separate drone service to control and coordinate the employment of the weapon systems.

Russia’s drone strikes on Ukraine have increased sixfold in four months. The offensive is being fueled by a facility in Russia’s southern Tatarstan region, which is ramping up production with the help of a low-skilled workforce of Russian students.

Until the large-scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine, there hadn’t been such a prolific employment of drones by two conventional militaries against one another.

Kyiv targets missile fuel factory as Moscow claims assassination attempts foiled - Four Russians accused of helping assassination plots arrested