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From $300K to $70K: How Russia Mass-Produced Cheaper Shahed Drones
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russia has significantly reduced the unit cost of its long-range Shahed-type attack drones over the past three years, according to Ukrainian intelligence and independent defense analysts.
In 2022, leaked documents from the Iran–Russia drone cooperation project showed that Russia was initially paying over $370,000 per unit for the Shahed drones. These costs reportedly dropped to $290,000 with bulk orders of 2,000 units and further to approximately $193,000 per unit for orders of 6,000.
According to CNN, citing Ukrainian military intelligence, current production at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone has allowed Russia to lower the per-unit cost of these drones to approximately $70,000.
Further estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), published in February and May 2025, suggest that Shahed drones could now be produced at a cost ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 per unit.
Ukrainian analysts, however, caution that the lower end of this estimate may be overly optimistic, while a figure between $50,000 and $70,000 appears more realistic.
In comparison, one of Ukraine’s own long-range drones, the FP-1, has a reported unit cost of $55,000, with daily production reaching around 100 units, according to recent domestic sources.
Several measures have reportedly contributed to cost reductions on the Russian side, including simplified drone construction and the use of engines that exclude components such as starters and flywheels.
Russia’s domestic drone manufacturing capabilities have also expanded. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Kremlin aims to produce over 6,000 Shahed-type drones per month—equivalent to more than 200 per day or over 72,000 per year—marking a significant increase in production capacity.
Earlier satellite imagery revealed that Russia can build fully operational Shahed drone launch sites in just a few weeks. Facilities near Navlya in Bryansk region and Tsymbulova in Oryol region were constructed between July and September 2024, featuring launch strips, storage bunkers, and technical support zones.
