Russia’s Low-Cost Explosive Drones: Lancet, Shahed and More Explained | WSJ

(bright music) – Some 600 miles east of Moscow, a new facility in the town of Yelabuga is getting ready to ramp up Russia’s production of drones. The White House says the plants will manufacture Iranian drones with operations starting as soon as early 2024. (drone buzzing) Russia’s invasion of Ukraine showed how inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs were effective on the battlefield for reconnaissance and for attacks. Aviation experts say, unlike Ukraine, Russia’s use of unmanned systems got off to a slow start. Here’s how Moscow is catching up in the drone race by building up arsenals of

low-cost explosive drones. (airplane jet revving) Early in the war, Russia mostly relied on conventional military UAVs. Reconnaissance drones like this orlan have been effective as spotting targets and calling in artillery fire. But these systems are relatively expensive, costing around $100,000 a unit, and military experts with CNA and American Defense Research Organization believe Russian forces had a limited number of these UAVs with plans to significantly ramp up production in 2023. (air whooshing) Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops started using cheap, modified commercial drones for surveillance and to destroy valuable Russian equipment early on. As the invasion turned into a

war of attrition, Moscow realized its need for low-cost explosive drones. In mid 2022, Moscow started importing Iranian shahed drones to targets Ukrainian infrastructure. CNA expert, Samuel Bendett, estimated the price tag for the shaheds to be under $50,000 each, which

makes it cost-effective for Russia to use. And with this new plant, Russia will be able to produce some 6,000 Iranian design drones on its territory in the coming years, according to officials from a country aligned with the US. (tense music) But shahed can only navigate to pre-programmed targets. (drone thudding) So in response to Ukraine’s counter offensive,

Russia has been increasingly using domestically-produced lancet drones, which are flown by pilots in real time. (worker speaking in Russian) – In July, Russian state media reported from what it said was a former shopping mall that was turned into a plans to assemble lancets. Russia’s defense ministry has increasingly reported on the small UAVs damaging Ukrainian weapons, including arms supplied by the West. (Vladimir Putin speaking in Russian) – In August, Vladimir Putin asked for the production of lancets to increase. It’s not clear how many of these drones Russia has. Last October, Russian pro-war bloggers put the number

at 1,500 units. (calm music) Kiev has acknowledged the challenges posed by Russian drones such as lancets and orlans to its forces on the battlefield. The Ukrainian government says the vehicles rely on foreign made parts, some imported from the West. The chief of staff to the Ukrainian presidents call for more sanctions on Russian drone producers and stricter controls over components’ exports. Military experts agree that sourcing components is a major issue for the Russian drone industry. But if Russia still manages to quickly ramp up production of low-cost drones, this could spell trouble for Ukrainian forces. (air whooshing)

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