According to Ukrainian intelligence and independent defense analysts, Russia has significantly reduced the unit cost of its long-range Shahed attack drones over the past three years. Several measures have been taken, including simplifying the drone structure and using engines without components such as starters and flywheels, while domestic drone manufacturing capacity in Russia has also expanded. In 2022, leaked documents from the Iran-Russia drone cooperation project indicated that Russia initially paid over $370,000 per Shahed drone. The first batch order of 2,000 units reduced the cost to $290,000 each, and a follow-up order of 6,000 units further lowered it to around $193,000 per unit.

According to Ukrainian military intelligence, production in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone now allows Russia to reduce the unit cost of these drones to about $70,000. Further estimates released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in February and May 2025 suggest that Shahed drones now cost between $20,000 and $50,000 per unit to produce. However, Ukrainian analysts consider these estimates overly optimistic, with a more realistic range likely between $50,000 and $70,000.

By comparison, one of Ukraine’s own long-range drones, the FP-1, has a unit cost of $55,000, with a daily production of around 100 units.

(Ukraine long-range drone FP-1. Source: Mezha Media)

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Kremlin aims to produce over 6,000 Shahed drones per month, equivalent to more than 200 per day or over 72,000 per year — marking a substantial increase in production capacity.

Earlier satellite imagery shows that Russia can construct fully operational Shahed drone launch sites within just a few weeks. Facilities near Navlya in Bryansk Oblast and Chimblova in Oryol Oblast were built between July and September 2024, featuring launch strips, storage shelters, and technical support areas.