Air defences set up around Shahed factory in Tatarstan, similar to those protecting Putin's Valdai residence – photo

At least 33 air defence positions have been established around the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, where Russia manufactures Geran attack drones, since spring 2026.

Source: Radio Liberty's Russian service

Details: According to journalists who analysed satellite images taken on 21 October, new concrete towers and platforms for Pantsir, Tor and other air defence systems have appeared around the main production site. Towers for heavy anti-aircraft machine guns and structures for stretching anti-drone nets over workshops have also been installed on the site.

Quote: "The Alabuga Special Economic Zone remains one of the best-protected sites in Russia against UAV strikes, alongside Vladimir Putin's residence in Valdai (31 towers and two positions for S-300/400 surface-to-air missile systems). More than 100 new air defence positions have been built in the capital and Moscow Oblast since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine."

Details: The journalists have also posted an interactive map of air defence positions around Alabuga.

Alongside the expansion of air defences at Alabuga, production capacity for drones continues to grow, with underground workshops also being built.

According to an assessment by the Dnipro Osint project based on satellite imagery, the area of the underground facilities under construction has reached 42,000 sq m. Images taken in late August also showed the construction of at least 10 new workshops and dozens of warehouses.

Background:

• Alabuga is Russia's largest drone manufacturing site, producing drones used in attacks on Ukraine.
• Ukraine's Armed Forces first attacked the complex in April 2024. One of the drones struck student accommodation at Alabuga Polytech, injuring 13 people. Students at the institution, including minors, are involved in assembling drones.
• The latest known attack on Alabuga that caused documented damage took place in June 2025.

Find out more about the operations of one of Russia's largest drone factories in the article Russia's high-security economic zone: how Alabuga, the country's main drone factory, operates

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