Russian Students Revealed to Be Key Workers in Drone Production at Alabuga SEZ
Dozens of Russian students are actively participating in the production of Shahed-type kamikaze drones used in attacks against Ukraine, The Gaze reports according to new findings published by the investigative group Molfar.
The research reveals that these students, officially enrolled at the Alabuga Polytechnic College, are involved in manufacturing military-grade drones at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a central hub in Russia’s war machine.
“These so-called ‘students’ are directly implicated in drone production, using cutting-edge technologies to aid the aggressor,” Molfar wrote. “We explore how they contribute to the war, the methods they employ, and why this cannot be ignored any longer.”
The Shahed-136 drones—rebranded by Russia as Geran-2—have been used in nearly daily strikes against Ukraine. The drones, originally designed and supplied by Iran, are now being mass-produced domestically in Russia, with Alabuga SEZ serving as the primary facility.
Despite U.S. sanctions imposed on the Alabuga zone in February 2024, drone production has accelerated. Ukrainian military intelligence estimates that 5,760 Shahed drones were produced in the first nine months of 2024, more than double the total output of 2023.
By August 2024, production had reached 6,400 units—far exceeding the original target of 4,800 for that time period. Molfar’s analysis of launch patterns shows a disturbing escalation: while earlier data showed 2–3 month gaps between large-scale attacks, by August the monthly launches surged to nearly 800. By September 26, 1,131 drones had been launched—almost three times the number from July.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force Command, Russia has launched a total of 17,575 Shahed drones since the start of its full-scale invasion.
Originally designed as an industrial zone to attract Western companies, Alabuga SEZ shifted toward military production following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the region has not only become central to Russia’s drone program, but also an example of how civilian institutions—such as technical colleges—have been repurposed to serve military objectives.
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