---
title: "Large-scale expansion of the 'Shahed' plant in 'Alabuga': new satellite images"
description: "Satellite images have captured large-scale construction of new workshops in the 'Alabuga' SEZ near Yelabuga. The construction area has reached 340 hectares, and the production of 'Shahed' drones continues to grow. Ukraine is demanding a ban on the zone's advertising and has issued a warrant for its director for producing more than 13,000 UAVs. 🛰️🏭🚫"
date: 2026-07-02T16:50:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/large-scale-expansion-of-the-shahed-plant-in-alabuga-new-satellite-images
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Large-scale expansion of the 'Shahed' plant in 'Alabuga': new satellite images

![Satellite image of the 'Alabuga' industrial zone showing the new expansion of the 'Shahedov' plant, with containers, railway tracks and construction sites visible](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/02/masshtabnoe-rasshirenie-zavoda-shahedov-v-alabuge-novye-sputnikovye-snimki/masshtabnoe-rasshirenie-zavoda-shahedov-v-alabuge-novye-sputnikovye-snimki-1.webp)

Satellite images have captured the beginning of large-scale construction work on the southern section of the 'Alabuga' Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Tatarstan. Analysts from the 'Dnipro-Osint' channel, whose data is cited by RBC-Ukraine, confirm that the construction area covers approximately 340 hectares. This indicates a rapid expansion of production capacity used for assembling attack drones.

### New workshops and logistics

According to an analysis of the images, the construction of new production workshops for 'Shahed' ('Geran') type drones began in May 2026. The photographs clearly show the expansion of infrastructure and logistics hubs. The facility, located near the city of Yelabuga, is 1200 km from the Ukrainian border, making it a key link in the supply chain of weapons for the Russian army.

'Alabuga' is the largest industrial and production SEZ in Russia. With the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, it has transformed into the main hub for drone assembly. Visual evidence shows that the zone is actively developing, despite its distance from the combat zone.

### Human factor and incidents

The activities of the SEZ attract the attention not only of military analysts but also of law enforcement agencies. Ukraine has issued a warrant for Timur Shagivaliev, the General Director of 'Alabuga'. According to the investigation, under his leadership, more than 13,000 attack drones were manufactured. Furthermore, cases of teenagers being recruited to work in weapons production are being recorded in the region.

The history of the zone is not devoid of technological incidents either. In late November 2025, a major fire occurred on the territory of 'Alabuga', covering an area of about 1000 square meters. Despite this, work on expanding the territory did not stop.

### Fighting advertising

Ukrainian authorities have also initiated a campaign against the promotion of the 'Alabuga' brand in the digital space. Kyiv is demanding that the YouTube platform block advertising for the special economic zone, viewing it as propaganda for an enterprise involved in producing weapons for the war.