The supply of drones to the Russian Armed Forces doubled in 2026.…
The supply of drones to the Russian Armed Forces doubled in 2026. Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia, Alexey Krivoruchko, stated that drone deliveries to the Russian Armed Forces have increased to ensure superiority over Ukrainian forces; compared with 2025, their volume grew by more than double.
Consensus
- The volume of UAV deliveries to the Russian Armed Forces increased more than twofold in 2026 compared to 2025.
- Deputy Minister of Defense Alexey Krivoruchko made statements about UAV delivery increases during a Ministry of Defense collegium meeting.
- Efforts are ongoing to equip military units with modern weapons and equipment, including drones, as part of the special military operation.
Points of divergence
- The development of drone forces and equipping the Russian army with advanced weaponry were defined by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in late 2025. — vedomosti
- On July 3, Belousov held a working meeting at the Black Sea Fleet command post and emphasized strengthening coastal detection systems and air defense capabilities. — vedomosti
- Belousov stated that AI is used in Russian drones for target acquisition and navigation, and that the Ministry of Defense is implementing the DC software-hardware complex to store data across all drone units. — vedomosti
- The Ministry of Defense is working on integrating technologies into air defense systems as one of seven projects to be completed by year-end. — vedomosti
- More than 8,000 specialists were trained in the first half of 2026 for drone operations, including full unit-level combat integration exercises on standard equipment. — m24
- The Kremlin stated Russia can achieve success in the special military operation without using nuclear weapons, citing the capture of Konstantinovka in Donetsk People's Republic as an example. — m24
- Vladimir Putin described nuclear weapon use as an exceptional measure for national security. — m24
Coverage (4 sources)
- Delivery of drones to Russian forces doubled in 2026 — Ведомости
- Deputy Russian Defense Minister Reports Increase in Drone Deliveries to Troops — Интерфакс
- Over 8,000 Specialists Prepared for Russia's Drone Forces in the First Half of the Year — Интерфакс
- Drone deliveries to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have doubled compared to 2025 — Москва 24
Key entities
- Russia
- Alexey Krivoruchko
- Moscow
- INTERFAX.RU
- Armed Forces
- Ukrainian Armed Forces
- Ministry of Defense
- VS
- TASS
- Ministry of Defense of Russia