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Russia apparently has great difficulty producing combat drones itself. This is suggested by media critics of the Kremlin, which report “systemic failings” and “mismanagement”.

According to the Russian opposition group “Protokol”, Russia is trying to replicate Iranian Shahed-136 drones in Tatarstan. To this end, Russia has signed a licensing agreement with Iran for the equivalent of about 1.3 billion euros, reports “Protokol”. A factory is to be built in Jelabuga, a special economic zone established east of Moscow in the 1980s. Senior US officials had previously reported on this.

According to the “protocol”, parts of the drone come entirely from Iran

According to the “Protokol”, the drones will be built there and Russian special personnel will be trained by Iranian experts. Iran provides lists of materials and construction plans. According to the report, the cooperation is a kind of “franchise,” meaning Russia builds drones according to its own standards, according to Iran.

According to the “Protokol”, the components for the Shahed drone are currently fully supplied from Iran and assembled in Yelabuga. According to the report, the Iranian components will be reduced and replaced by Russian ones in the future.

But now there are problems. Negotiations about the exact production design apparently came to nothing. For safety reasons, a large pit is required for the production of ammunition. The management of the economic zone has thought about it, but the establishment takes time. The purchase of materials is also difficult due to the sanctions.

According to “Protokol”, it could take two to three years for Iran to withdraw from production. Other sources, also based on the research of “Protokol”, assume that it may take longer.

Excessive costs

In addition, the contract shows excessive costs, unrealistic time calculations and only improvised production facilities. This raises doubts about “whether the drones could ever be mass-produced,” writes “Protokol”.

There was also disagreement over costs. Moscow is said to have opposed the 800,000 euros that Tehran demanded for the production facility. The way the deal was paid for was also a problem because, according to the “Protokol”, Iran insists on cash payments, which Russia cannot meet in this way.

According to the report, the hangar for drone production is currently 40,000 square meters in size. In the future, the halls must have a total surface area of ​​more than 100,000 square metres. According to the plan, the assembly efficiency of the Russians should then exceed that of the Iranians by a factor of ten. According to “Protokol”, there should be a separate village dedicated exclusively to the manufacture of drones for the Russian army. However, it is unclear how likely it is that these plans will be implemented.

Russia has been using unmanned combat aircraft for months. Earlier this year, in June, former US Admiral John Kirby said Iran would continue to supply drones to Russia. They would be shipped across the Caspian Sea from Amirabad in Iran to Makhachkala in Russia and used by Russian forces against Ukraine. In May, Russia received hundreds of attack drones and drone production equipment from Iran in this way, the White House said. Ukraine also uses drones to defend against Russia.