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Russia’s secretive drone partnership with Iran includes close collaboration on a new factory in the Russian province of Tatarstan, where Moscow has converted an agricultural UAV maker to supply its war effort in Ukraine.
Albatross, a key site for Russia-Iranian cooperation, has produced reconnaissance drones for President Vladimir Putin’s defense ministry, with about 50 of them delivered to the war in eastern Ukraine.
The factory is at the heart of a growing technological partnership with Tehran, whose expertise Moscow has relied on to support its offensive and set up a domestic drone-manufacturing capability to avoid Western sanctions.
According to advertisements and social media posts, activity at the Russian facility has increased in recent months, with the business park where it is located recruiting for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engineers and Farsi speakers capable of translating “technical documents”. Launching the campaign.
Albatross, a Russian conglomerate that previously specialized in agricultural technology, built its new factory inside the Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan – a site the US claims is part of Tehran-backed efforts to develop Russia’s capability to make drones. is the center of.
In a video released last month, Russia’s Defense Ministry showed troops in Ukraine launching a reconnaissance drone, which it called an “Albatross” drone. In a statement to Russian state media, the company said it had supplied 50 M5 drones. These drones look similar to the ones being made at the Alabuga factory.
An official Russian video shows a reconnaissance drone being launched over Ukraine
Russian troops are launching reconnaissance drones in Ukraine
AirWars, a conflict monitoring group based at Goldsmiths University in London, found that the business park, which is near the city of Yelabuga, has posted dozens of job advertisements, including positions such as “UAV production director”, “UAV designer” and “UAV director”. UAV Chief Technologist” from October 2022.
Some explicitly state that the role includes coordinating with Russia’s Ministry of Defense on the design. Many advertisements for UAV-related jobs cite the need to understand “reverse-engineering processes.” Key components of Iran’s drone program, including engines, have benefited from analysis of technology purchased or captured from other countries.
Since April, the business park has also posted advertisements for Farsi interpreters who will be required to travel, perform simultaneous translations and translate technical documents.
In June, the White House released satellite photos that identified two buildings in the Alabuga Zone area as a key part of Iran’s efforts to help Moscow increase its drone capability. “We are also concerned that Russia is working with Iran to produce Iranian UAVs from inside Russia,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council.
The FT and AirWars have identified Albatross as the drone-maker in one of those buildings. Statements made by Albatross on the floor space of their facilities match the official dimensions of one of the buildings. Furthermore, the address listed on Albatross’ website appears to correspond with the location identified by the American photograph.
Samuel Bendet, an expert on autonomous weapons at the Center for Naval Analysis, said: “If Russia wants to do something covert with Iran, this is an advantageous location. It’s on a river that flows into the Volga, so you can secretly bring parts of it by ship from Iran.
“It’s very close to Kazan, one of Russia’s high-tech manufacturing hubs,” he said. “All you have to do is take a boat trip.”
Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of martyr ‘kamikaze’ drones, which have been flown in swarms into Ukrainian infrastructure and neighbourhoods. However, the FT and AirWars have not found evidence that Martyr drones are being manufactured at the plant. According to US intelligence, Moscow has bought hundreds of suicide drones from Tehran.
The White House claimed that Alabuga is a still-expanding industrial site where an Iranian-Russian drone plant could be fully operational as early as next year. Photos and videos from Russian social media and local media outlets indicate that Albatross began some drone production at the site in January.
Albatros describes itself as a manufacturer of commercial drones for agricultural purposes and mapping. But the company’s co-founder Ilya Voronkov has admitted to supplying the military in interviews. They also admitted to buying carbon fiber from neighboring company Alabuga-Fiber, which was later banned by the US for its role in Russia’s military programs.
Voronkov has said that 70 percent of the Albatros’ components are Russian-made, while other parts such as the engine are from China. The drone manufacturer’s website advertises cameras, electronics and other equipment from European, American and Asian companies.
Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of Martyr ‘kamikaze’ circling drones © Shobhan Farajvan/Zuma/Alami
A Russian soldier launches an Albatros M5 drone over Ukraine © Albatros/YouTube
Iran’s drone program has been on the rise since the 1990s. Bendet of the Center for Naval Analysis said: “The Iranians already have a mature, proven technology. Iranian drones are between very expensive drones that can hit very far and between small drones that do not fly more than 100 km. It’s a very sophisticated enterprise.”
Iran has supplied UAVs to proxy and partner countries through direct arms transfers and provision of UAV assembly kits since the early 2000s.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro confirmed in 2012 that his government had purchased drone manufacturing technology, as well as infrastructure, from the Iranian regime.
One of those drones, the ANSU-100, was unveiled last year during a presidential parade in Venezuela — and it’s basically a carbon copy of an Iranian drone, the Mohajer-2, that apparently was equipped with weapons obtained from Venezuela. equipped with.
In 2022, Iran set up a drone manufacturing facility in Dushanbe, the capital of nearby Tajikistan. The factory reportedly only manufactures the Ababil-2, a lightweight drone that has not yet been identified as being in Ukraine.
Iranian UAVs – including older versions of Martyr drones – have been used by Houthi rebels in Yemen and by the Ethiopian government against Tigrean rebels in 2021.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, said last month that the Islamic republic had not provided weapons to either side in the war and described the allegations as “politically motivated”.
“Those who are making these claims have not shown any evidence to prove their claims,” he added.
Russia’s secretive drone partnership with Iran includes close collaboration on a new factory in the Russian province of Tatarstan, where Moscow has converted an agricultural UAV maker to supply its war effort in Ukraine.
Albatross, a key site for Russia-Iranian cooperation, has produced reconnaissance drones for President Vladimir Putin’s defense ministry, with about 50 of them delivered to the war in eastern Ukraine.
The factory is at the heart of a growing technological partnership with Tehran, whose expertise Moscow has relied on to support its offensive and set up a domestic drone-manufacturing capability to avoid Western sanctions.
According to advertisements and social media posts, activity at the Russian facility has increased in recent months, with the business park where it is located recruiting for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engineers and Farsi speakers capable of translating “technical documents”. Launching the campaign.
Albatross, a Russian conglomerate that previously specialized in agricultural technology, built its new factory inside the Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan – a site the US claims is part of Tehran-backed efforts to develop Russia’s capability to make drones. is the center of.
In a video released last month, Russia’s Defense Ministry showed troops in Ukraine launching a reconnaissance drone, which it called an “Albatross” drone. In a statement to Russian state media, the company said it had supplied 50 M5 drones. These drones look similar to the ones being made at the Alabuga factory.
An official Russian video shows a reconnaissance drone being launched over Ukraine
Russian troops are launching reconnaissance drones in Ukraine
AirWars, a conflict monitoring group based at Goldsmiths University in London, found that the business park, which is near the city of Yelabuga, has posted dozens of job advertisements, including positions such as “UAV production director”, “UAV designer” and “UAV director”. UAV Chief Technologist” from October 2022.
Some explicitly state that the role includes coordinating with Russia’s Ministry of Defense on the design. Many advertisements for UAV-related jobs cite the need to understand “reverse-engineering processes.” Key components of Iran’s drone program, including engines, have benefited from analysis of technology purchased or captured from other countries.
Since April, the business park has also posted advertisements for Farsi interpreters who will be required to travel, perform simultaneous translations and translate technical documents.
In June, the White House released satellite photos that identified two buildings in the Alabuga Zone area as a key part of Iran’s efforts to help Moscow increase its drone capability. “We are also concerned that Russia is working with Iran to produce Iranian UAVs from inside Russia,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council.
The FT and AirWars have identified Albatross as the drone-maker in one of those buildings. Statements made by Albatross on the floor space of their facilities match the official dimensions of one of the buildings. Furthermore, the address listed on Albatross’ website appears to correspond with the location identified by the American photograph.
Samuel Bendet, an expert on autonomous weapons at the Center for Naval Analysis, said: “If Russia wants to do something covert with Iran, this is an advantageous location. It’s on a river that flows into the Volga, so you can secretly bring parts of it by ship from Iran.
“It’s very close to Kazan, one of Russia’s high-tech manufacturing hubs,” he said. “All you have to do is take a boat trip.”
Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of martyr ‘kamikaze’ drones, which have been flown in swarms into Ukrainian infrastructure and neighbourhoods. However, the FT and AirWars have not found evidence that Martyr drones are being manufactured at the plant. According to US intelligence, Moscow has bought hundreds of suicide drones from Tehran.
The White House claimed that Alabuga is a still-expanding industrial site where an Iranian-Russian drone plant could be fully operational as early as next year. Photos and videos from Russian social media and local media outlets indicate that Albatross began some drone production at the site in January.
Albatros describes itself as a manufacturer of commercial drones for agricultural purposes and mapping. But the company’s co-founder Ilya Voronkov has admitted to supplying the military in interviews. They also admitted to buying carbon fiber from neighboring company Alabuga-Fiber, which was later banned by the US for its role in Russia’s military programs.
Voronkov has said that 70 percent of the Albatros’ components are Russian-made, while other parts such as the engine are from China. The drone manufacturer’s website advertises cameras, electronics and other equipment from European, American and Asian companies.
Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of Martyr ‘kamikaze’ circling drones © Shobhan Farajvan/Zuma/Alami
A Russian soldier launches an Albatros M5 drone over Ukraine © Albatros/YouTube
Iran’s drone program has been on the rise since the 1990s. Bendet of the Center for Naval Analysis said: “The Iranians already have a mature, proven technology. Iranian drones are between very expensive drones that can hit very far and between small drones that do not fly more than 100 km. It’s a very sophisticated enterprise.”
Iran has supplied UAVs to proxy and partner countries through direct arms transfers and provision of UAV assembly kits since the early 2000s.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro confirmed in 2012 that his government had purchased drone manufacturing technology, as well as infrastructure, from the Iranian regime.
One of those drones, the ANSU-100, was unveiled last year during a presidential parade in Venezuela — and it’s basically a carbon copy of an Iranian drone, the Mohajer-2, that apparently was equipped with weapons obtained from Venezuela. equipped with.
In 2022, Iran set up a drone manufacturing facility in Dushanbe, the capital of nearby Tajikistan. The factory reportedly only manufactures the Ababil-2, a lightweight drone that has not yet been identified as being in Ukraine.
Iranian UAVs – including older versions of Martyr drones – have been used by Houthi rebels in Yemen and by the Ethiopian government against Tigrean rebels in 2021.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, said last month that the Islamic republic had not provided weapons to either side in the war and described the allegations as “politically motivated”.
“Those who are making these claims have not shown any evidence to prove their claims,” he added.
