Alabuga Special Economic Zone, where Russia manufactures Shaheds, expands by 340 hectares

According to Ukrinform, Radio Free Europe /Radio Liberty (Radio Svoboda) reported this after analyzing satellite images.

Satellite images from May 2025 and May 2026 were compared. Construction of new hangars is ongoing in the northern part of Alabuga. Additionally, new residential and industrial facilities were completed in the central part of the zone over the past year.

Overall, Alabuga has expanded by 340 hectares over the past year.

In April 2026, active construction work also began on an area of over 450 hectares south of Alabuga, on the other side of the M-12 Vostok Motorway, which runs alongside the zone.

Satellite images also show another highway under construction, leading from this route to the special economic zone.

The Alabuga Special Economic Zone is the main production site for Geran combat drones, which are based on the Iranian Shahed drones.

Every night, Russian troops launch between 100 and 600 of these drones at Ukraine; these have been significantly upgraded compared to the Iranian original.

As reported by Ukrinform, a propaganda campaign has been launched in the Russian Federation aimed at recruiting teenagers to produce Shahed combat drones.

Photos: Planet Labs