In the Russian «Alabuga» Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, where Shahed/«Geran»-type attack drones are manufactured, work has begun on the construction of underground production facilities. According to estimates by OSINT analysts at Dnipro Osint, around 42,000 square metres of underground space have already been created for future production facilities.
- Underground production facilities are being built at «Alabuga».
- They are linked to the production of «Shahids».
- The area already covers around 42,000 m².
- The construction was captured on satellite images.
- At the same time, the factory is stepping up its anti-drone defences.
Underground workshops are being built at «Alabuga»
An OSINT project reported on the new construction on 19 September Dnipro Osint («Garbuz»), which analyses satellite imagery of Russian military and industrial sites.
According to analysts’ estimates, the area of the underground space already built amounts to approximately 42,000 square metres. It is planned to be used for the complex’s future production facilities.
The satellite images that have been released show several large construction sites. Analysts have also provided the coordinates of the area where work is taking place within the «Alabuga» Special Economic Zone.
They are trying to protect production from disruptions
According to Dnipro Osint, the decision to develop underground infrastructure is linked to previous strikes on the territory of «Alabugi». Underground emplacement may provide additional protection for equipment and personnel — this is the assessment of OSINT analysts, rather than information confirmed by the Russian side regarding the purpose of all the structures.
At the same time, Russia is stepping up the protection of the complex’s ground-based infrastructure.
In August, the Institute for Science and International Security analysed satellite imagery from Vantor and Airbus and identified dozens of lattice towers around the «Alabuga» facilities. Researchers suggest that metal cables or netting may be stretched between them to make attacks by drones and cruise missiles more difficult.
«Alabuga» continues its large-scale expansion
The underground works are taking place against the backdrop of a significant expansion of the entire industrial complex.
Back on 14 September, Dnipro Osint reported that there were at least five new large, elongated hulls in the southern part of the economic zone. Internal roads are also being built there, and additional structures are under construction. The exact purpose of all the new buildings had not yet been determined at that time.
Construction work on this site has been documented since at least May 2026. Previously, OSINT analysts had estimated the area of the new site to be approximately 340 hectares.
The factory produces thousands of drones every month
«Alabuga» has become one of Russia’s key centres for the production of Shahed-series drones/«Geranium».
In March 2026, the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies reported that, according to open-source estimates, the company might already have been producing over 5,500 drones a month. This figure refers to the total number of drones produced at the facility, not exclusively to one specific Shahed model.
The expansion of above-ground workshops, the construction of protective structures and, now, the creation of underground facilities all point to the continued expansion and protection of the complex’s production infrastructure. The exact scale of future production in the new underground facilities is not yet known.
