Russia producing around 170 Shahed drones daily, plans to ramp up output – DIU
As of May 2025, Russia’s production of Shahed drones and decoy UAVs has reached approximately 170 units per day. The Kremlin plans to increase this number to 190 drones per day by the end of the year.
This was reported by the Defense-focused media outlet Oboronka, citing Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (DIU), according to Censor.NET.
It was noted that not only the number of attack drones is increasing, but the UAV technologies themselves are evolving.
The configuration of the Shahed drone in 2022 differs significantly from that in 2025. According to the intelligence agency, several key modifications have been made to the drone’s design over the past year alone.
One of the key upgrades involves a significant modification of the warheads.
In addition to the standard high-explosive and fragmentation-high-explosive types, Shahed drones can now be equipped with combined shaped-charge-fragmentation-high-explosive warheads, as well as shaped-charge-fragmentation-incendiary variants. According to the Defense Intelligence, different warhead types are selected depending on the intended target to maximize destructive impact.
Furthermore, the explosive payload of the Shaheds has increased — from 50 to 90 kilograms.
Some of Russia’s strike UAVs are now also equipped with Starlink terminals, enabling real-time control and coordination during missions.
