Russia may deploy up to 9 million drones in 2026 – Kubilius
Russia continues to increase drone production in 2026. This is forcing Europe to reconsider its own defense policy.
As reported by Censor.NET with reference to Radio Svoboda, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said this while speaking at the Europa forum.
"We need to remember that Russia spends on its army, when recalculated using purchasing power parity, about 85% of the entire defense budget of the European Union. It is also ready to deploy between seven and nine million drones in 2026," Kubilius said.
He noted that Russia’s war against Ukraine has demonstrated a new role for unmanned systems on the battlefield and that Europe needs to increase its own defense capabilities much faster. He also warned that further escalation by Moscow on the continent cannot be ruled out.
"There is a real possibility that we could face Russian aggression," Kubilius said.
Background
Last year, a representative of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleh Aleksandrov, reported that Russia is catching up with Ukraine in drone production thanks to greater financial resources, production lines located far from the front line, and especially assistance from China. In particular, at that time, the aggressor country planned to increase UAV production to 190 units per day.
