Russia could produce 500 drones daily by 2027, Ukraine warns

Russia is rapidly increasing production of long-range strike drones and could reach output of around 500 UAVs per day by early 2027 if current plans continue, according to Ukrainian military intelligence data. 

The report said Moscow plans to manufacture about 110,000 long-range drones in 2026, including around 60,000 strike drones and 50,000 decoy UAVs designed to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, News.Az reports, citing United 24 Media.

Ukrainian intelligence believes Russia’s drone production could rise by around 40% compared to 2025. Analysts estimate average daily production may grow from about 142 drones in January 2026 to nearly 455 by December, with the possibility of exceeding 500 per day in early 2027.

According to the report, around 55% of the UAVs are expected to be strike drones similar to the Iranian-designed Shahed models, while the rest would mainly consist of decoy drones used to saturate air defense systems.

Such production capacity could allow Russia to launch attacks involving up to 1,000 drones in a single day through stockpiling, including about 550 strike drones, although such operations would likely remain occasional.

The report also highlighted Russia’s growing use of jet-powered Geran drones, including the Geran-3, Geran-4 and Geran-5 platforms. Ukrainian intelligence said serial production of the Geran-4 and Geran-5 has already begun, while full-scale production of the Geran-3 is expected later this year.

Unlike standard Shahed drones, the jet-powered variants can fly significantly faster. The Geran-3 reportedly reaches speeds of up to 370 km/h, while the Geran-4 may fly at up to 500 km/h. The Geran-5 cruise missile-type platform can reportedly reach 600 km/h with a range close to 1,000 kilometers.

Ukrainian intelligence said Russia is still using the jet-powered systems in limited numbers for testing and operational experiments, with special “drone ports” supporting deployment in Russia’s Oryol region and near occupied Donetsk.

The report added that the higher speed of the new drones creates greater risks for frontline and border regions by reducing the time available for interception.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova