On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia is significantly increasing its drone production, aiming to boost output nearly tenfold to approximately 1.4 million units this year, in a bid to secure victory for the Russian armed forces in Ukraine.

“This year, we have delivered around 140,000 unmanned aerial vehicles of various types to our military,” Putin stated. “We plan to substantially enhance drone production, nearly by a factor of ten.” He emphasized the importance of rapid response on the battlefield, saying, “The side that adapts more swiftly to these demands will prevail,” during a meeting in St. Petersburg focused on advancing drone manufacturing.

Since the onset of the conflict in February 2022, which saw Russia deploy tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine, the war has primarily revolved around intense artillery exchanges and drone operations along a heavily fortified 1,000-kilometer front, involving hundreds of thousands of personnel.

Both Russia and Ukraine have procured drones from international sources while also increasing their domestic production to target various objectives, including artillery, supply depots, energy infrastructure, and naval vessels.