{
  "id": 8764570,
  "title": "Russia’s secret plan to supercharge kamikaze drone production",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/russias-secret-plan-to-supercharge-kamikaze-drone-production",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-20T20:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Politico EU",
    "slug": "politico-eu",
    "url": "https://www.politico.eu/article/russias-secret-plan-to-supercharge-kamikaze-drone-production/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russia is taking steps to dramatically boost its production of kamikaze drones used against Ukrainian cities, according to documents obtained by POLITICO. The expansion of the state-owned Alabuga-Volokno factory in Russia's Tatarstan region, owned by Rosatom, would enable the manufacture of an extra 500 tons of military-grade aerospace carbon fiber annually by 2029. This lightweight material is crucial for building the drones' airframes. Experts estimate this production increase could result in an additional 28,000 weaponized drones each year, a 78% rise in production compared to the current estimate of over 36,000 \"Gerans\" produced annually by Russia. Ukraine believes Russia currently produces more than 36,000 kamikaze drones annually. The plans highlight Russia's dedication to weaponized drone technology, which it increasingly uses against Europe. The Alabuga-Volokno factory and its parent company, Rosatom's advanced materials division UMATEX, are sanctioned by the UK, US, and other Western governments. The factory is central to Moscow's military-industrial supply chain and previously received a disguised shipment of 46 tons of carbon-fiber chemicals from a Chinese state corporation. Rosatom maintains it operates in compliance with laws and regulations.",
  "summary": "Documents obtained by POLITICO show a Russian state company blueprint for increasing drone carbon fiber production as the Kremlin escalates air war over Europe.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Iran and Russia prepared multi-year plan to counter Western sanctions",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/iran-and-russia-prepared-multi-year-plan-to-counter-western-sanctions",
        "published": "2026-09-20T22:05:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}