2. Over the past 5 months, Russia has tripled its use of Shahed-type drones, now averaging 103 launches per day. Ukraine hasn’t had a single day without attacks. In April 2025, Russia launched 2,485 Shaheds. By July, 6,297. That’s a 1,378% increase compared to July 2024.
3. Alabuga has expanded quickly: new production halls, dormitories, and workshops. Thanks to tax breaks, customs benefits, and state investment, it has turned it into one of Russia’s most important industrial clusters.
4. Inside the plant, workers hand-layer carbon fibre for Shahed airframes. That carbon fibre comes from Alabuga-Fibre (UMATEX), acquired by Rosatom, aiming to hit 10,000 tonnes per year by 2030.
5. But here’s the paradox: Alabuga’s “self-sufficient” war industry depends on fragile supply chains. Carbon fibre production is impossible without an adequate flux of oxygen & nitrogen, once supplied by Air Liquide’s infrastructure.
6. Disrupting nodes like Alabuga is not simple. But understanding its ecosystem and the vulnerabilities hidden within it is essential to countering Russia’s drone surge. Especially when one of the key components of Shaed is still hand-made.
End. Finally, a big thank you to the entire @tochnyi.info team for their support.
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