Kremlin builds defenses to shield Yelabuga Shahed plant after strikes

According to the group, workers said Russian authorities are building a tower next to the facility equipped with a Pantsir air-defense module designed for close-range protection.

“This is direct evidence that Ukrainian drone strikes have already caused serious damage to the plant, and the Russian authorities are panicking, trying to defend their ‘suicide drone factory,’” Atesh said.

The partisans stressed that such “towers of despair” and Pantsir systems will not be able to shield the plant from future attacks.

“Every day the production site remains under threat, and with it the entire supply chain of drones Moscow uses to terrorize civilians in Ukraine,” the statement read.

In July, reports indicated that the Alabuga facility had accelerated construction of dormitories and production halls to expand output. Satellite images published by CNN showed dozens of new buildings near Yelabuga.

CNN previously reported that between January and September 2024, the Alabuga plant produced more than 5,700 Shahed drones—double the output recorded over the same period in 2023.

Yelabuga has been targeted multiple times. Ukraine’s military intelligence claimed responsibility for an April 2024 strike. The facility was also attacked in April, May, June, and August 2025.