Russian Regions Ramp Up Drone Production for Civilian Use

From firefighting to search-and-rescue, Russia’s domestic drone industry is growing rapidly across multiple regions.

Drone manufacturing is taking off across Russia’s regions. In the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), local authorities plan to produce more than 8,000 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of various types each year, according to regional head Aysen Nikolaev.

In 2024, Yakutia was selected as one of the winners in a national competition organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The region has since launched a Scientific and Production Center for UAV testing and technological development. Production will be led by the regional center 'Polyarny.'

Yakutia is already home to a UAV laboratory based in the 'Yakutia' technopark where engineers are developing and testing new drone models. The republic is not alone. Other regions like Samara and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District are also stepping up UAV manufacturing.

The use cases for drones in Russia are expanding quickly. UAVs are now being tested for artificial weather modification, wildfire suppression, ice monitoring, land surveying, search and rescue missions, infrastructure inspections, and cargo delivery.