Jack Buckby
Key Points and Summary – Russia’s drone and missile attacks on Ukraine escalated to record levels in July, reflecting a rapidly expanding domestic production capacity. This surge, built on Iranian Shahed technology, aims to achieve an unprecedented ability to launch thousands of drones at once. However, a recent investigation by an exiled Russian media outlet has made a disturbing claim: this growing industry is allegedly being powered in part by child labor.
Is Russia’s Drone Attack Uptick Powered By Child Labor?
As Russian forces utilize summer’s advantageous weather conditions with ground assaults and major territorial advances, its aerial campaigns are escalating, too. Data published by the Ukrainian air force suggests a record 6,443 drones and missiles were launched at Ukraine through July. The data shows a roughly 13% increase in drone and missile strikes over June, when 5,438 drones and 239 missiles were launched at targets in Ukraine. An ABC News analysis of the data reported an average rate of 201 drone attacks per day, compared to 181 last month.
The dramatic uptick in attacks reflects Moscow’s rapidly expanding drone production capacity. Russian state media has openly highlighted the scale of domestic manufacturing efforts, and in one recent broadcast, Zvezda TV showcased a drone assembly facility in Alabuga, Tatarstan, where workers were seen constructing Geran drones. According to a German assessment of the conflict, Russia is looking to achieve unprecedented drone attack capacities, with an aim to launch as many as 2,000 drones at once. Maj. Gen. Christian Freuding.
“The ambition is to have 2,000 drones that can be used simultaneously,” Freuding said. The quality of the drones that were copied from the Iranian predecessor models has improved significantly—we assume that the potency has increased by 50%, they are hardened against electronic warfare defenses and harder to defend against,” he continued. Among the UAVs being manufactured by Russia’s newest facilities is the Geran-2, which is modeled on the Iranian Shahed design. While most of the drone’s components can now be manufactured domestically, Russia still relies on Iranian technology and expertise.
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