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Russia plans to produce 18,000 drones annually by late 2026 — first deputy premier

According to Andrey Belousov, the annual drone market in Russia is currently estimated at around 32,000 drones

MOSCOW, April 28. /TASS/. The production volume of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Russia will reach 18,000 drones annually by late 2026, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov has said.

"We expect <...> the Russian industry to reach the production volume of 18,000 drones annually by the end of the next budget cycle, that is by late 2026. This does not include super-light drones that weigh below one kilogram," he told a meeting on development of unmanned aerial systems in the Rudnevo industrial park, chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The domestic demand, which is currently met at the level of 37%, will be met at around 52%. By 2030, we plan to produce 32,000 drones [annually], covering around 70% [of Russia’s needs]," Belousov added.

In his words, Russia’s annual drone market is currently estimated at around 32,000 drones. About 20,000 of them are imported from abroad, while the rest are manufactured domestically, but primarily from foreign-made components.

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