Producing 5,000 Drones a Month, World's Largest Drone Factory Employs Teenagers in Russia

Producing 5,000 Drones a Month, World’s Largest Drone Factory Employs Teenagers in Russia

Written by Maria Heloisa Barbosa Borges

Published on 23/07/2025 at 13:32

Maior fábrica de drones do mundo é russa e usa adolescentes na linha de montagem

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Military Installation In Tatarstan Produces Thousands Of Drones Per Month And Became Target Of Criticism For Using Child Labor

The largest drone factory in the world is located in Russia, specifically in the Tatarstan region, and has been drawing international attention not only for its production capacity but also for the use of teenagers in the assembly of military equipment. The facility, which supplies the Russian Army with Geran-2 kamikaze drones, operates within the special economic zone of Yelabuga.

According to reports from Reuters and The Telegraph, based on a documentary aired by the Russian state television Zvezda, teenagers around 15 years old have been seen operating equipment on the assembly lines. According to the video, these young individuals are recruited directly after ninth grade and enrolled in a technical school maintained by the factory itself.

Accelerated Production And Large-Scale Drones

Producing 5,000 Drones Per Month, The Largest Drone Factory In The World Employs Teenagers In Russia — Drone Production, Russia

The Yelabuga complex is the center of Geran-2 production, the Russian version of the Iranian Shahed 136 drones. With the capacity to produce more than 5,000 units per month, the factory has reportedly manufactured 18,000 drones in just the first half of 2025, according to estimates from sources linked to the Kremlin. The facility’s director, Timur Shagivaleyev, claimed that current production is “nine times greater” than the initial plan, although he did not specify the period.

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Criticism Of Young Labor And Use Of US Vehicles

The presence of teenagers working in the largest drone factory in the world has sparked international criticism. In the video released by the state channel, youth is portrayed as part of a patriotic effort. However, reports indicate that the Russian government intends to replicate this model in other regions, expanding the militarization of youth and national arms production.

Another controversial point is the use of Dodge Ram 1500 trucks, made in the USA, in the operation of the factory. These vehicles are used to launch drones in the field, which may constitute a violation of international sanctions. The complex also features its own test runway and is strategically located near the Kama River, which links to the Volga, facilitating the transport of parts — possibly coming from Iran.

Escalation In The Use Of Drones And Civil Impacts

Mass production of drones plays a strategic role in Russia’s war against Ukraine. In July, Moscow reportedly launched 741 drones and missiles in a single night, the largest attack ever recorded. European officials warn that the country may soon double that number, reaching 2,000 drones per day.

Although the Russian government claims that the targets are military, UN data indicates that over 13,000 Ukrainian civilians have died since the conflict began. Drones have been used to target power lines and civilian infrastructure, amplifying the humanitarian impact of the war.

Do you believe that the use of teenagers in military factories should be condemned internationally? Or is it a sovereign choice of each country? Leave your opinion in the comments.

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Producing 5,000 Drones a Month, World’s Largest Drone Factory Employs Teenagers in Russia

Military Installation In Tatarstan Produces Thousands Of Drones Per Month And Became Target Of Criticism For Using Child Labor

Accelerated Production And Large-Scale Drones

Criticism Of Young Labor And Use Of US Vehicles

Escalation In The Use Of Drones And Civil Impacts

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Producing 5,000 Drones a Month, World’s Largest Drone Factory Employs Teenagers in Russia

Military Installation In Tatarstan Produces Thousands Of Drones Per Month And Became Target Of Criticism For Using Child Labor

Accelerated Production And Large-Scale Drones

Criticism Of Young Labor And Use Of US Vehicles

Escalation In The Use Of Drones And Civil Impacts

The end of Nokia: the brand that was the cellphone of an entire generation has ended its smartphones, left Brazil, and today survives only in basic phones in India while seeking a new partner.

Workers were opening a modern road in Dover when they found, 6 meters below the asphalt, a 3,500-year-old boat made of stitched oak and plant fibers.

Dissatisfied with seeing people sleeping on the street, a man named Ryan Donais started building small mobile homes so that homeless people can escape the cold, each equipped with a bed, running water, electricity, and heating.

Consumers eat six times more chicken than in the 1960s, global meat supply quadruples in 60 years, and FAO report reveals the invisible cost on the plate: livestock could drive 80% of the increase in agricultural emissions over the next decade.

An Indonesian fisherman pulls a mysterious object from the sea and discovers that it is a Chinese underwater monitoring system, part of the so-called Underwater Great Wall that Beijing uses to track submarines and unmanned vehicles in strategic straits of the region.

Two 17-year-old Kenyans use coconut shells, corn cobs, and recycled materials to create an exhaust filter that reduces 93.3% of pollutant particles and wins an environmental award in Africa.

Man built a 5-acre lake to raise bass, but after 1,000 days the project turned into a wildlife sanctuary with eagles, deer, ducks, owls, and live cameras that transformed the farm into a biodiversity laboratory.

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