---
title: "\"A Thousand Drones a Day\": Zelensky Sets the Defense Industry the Task of Mass-Producing Long-Range UAVs"
description: "At a Stavka meeting, Zelensky set the defense industry the task of increasing long-range drone production from 300 to 1,000 units per day. The statement came against the backdrop of a strike on the Kstovo refinery and intensified Russian attacks using jet-powered \"Shaheds.\""
date: 2026-08-28T16:46:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelensky-thousand-drones-a-day-defense-industry-task-en
tags: [ukraine, drones, zelensky, defense-production, russia, uav, oil-refinery]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "A Thousand Drones a Day": Zelensky Sets the Defense Industry the Task of Mass-Producing Long-Range UAVs

![Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting on mass production of long-range drones for Ukraine's defense industry](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/28/zelensky-tysyacha-dronov-v-den-zadacha-opk/zelensky-tysyacha-dronov-v-den-zadacha-opk-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Zelensky set the task of increasing long-range UAV production from 300 to 1,000 units per day
- Russia is intensifying attacks with jet-powered "Shaheds" on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and several oblasts
- On the night of August 26, the "Lukoil-Nizhnevartovsknefteorgsintez" refinery in Kstovo was hit — Russia's 4th-largest plant
- According to Zelensky, Russia has for the first time begun importing gasoline and is suffering logistical losses

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff (the Stavka), set before the domestic defense-industrial complex the task of significantly ramping up the production of unmanned aerial vehicles for long-range strikes on Russian territory. According to the head of state, the current average production rate stands at around 300 long-range drones per day, while the target benchmark is one thousand units daily. "The task: a thousand drones for long-range strikes a day against Russia; right now the average is 300, plus our long-range strikes. There must be more. We have a very specific goal, and we will accomplish this task," Zelensky declared, as reported by RBC-Ukraine citing his Telegram channel.

### Target Metrics and the Logic of Scaling Up

The task set implies more than a threefold increase in the daily output of long-range UAVs compared to the current level. The president emphasized that systematic strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on targets on Russian territory are already producing a tangible economic and logistical effect: in his words, Russia's reserves and export volumes of gasoline have shrunk, serious logistics problems have emerged, and Moscow has for the first time in history begun importing gasoline and is forced to spend budget funds to support oil companies. Zelensky added that the enemy's losses will grow even larger if Russia refuses to negotiate an end to the war.

### Jet-Powered "Shaheds" and the Need for Interceptors

The head of state separately stressed the intensification of terrorist attacks by the Russian Federation, which, according to him, are increasingly carried out precisely by jet-powered modifications of the "Shahed" drones. Constant attacks have been recorded in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, as well as in Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Kyiv oblasts. "It is important that there be a significant acceleration in the production of interceptors, specifically against such jet-powered Shaheds, so that our strikes give Russia a greater sense of responsibility for the choice to continue this war," Zelensky stated. Thus, the ramp-up in long-range UAV production must be accompanied by a parallel increase in the output of air-defense systems.

### The Strike on "Lukoil-Nizhnevartovsknefteorgsintez" as Context

The statement on plans to scale up long-range drone production came against the backdrop of a recent successful operation by the Armed Forces. On the night of August 26, 2026, Ukrainian forces struck one of Russia's largest oil refineries — "Lukoil-Nizhnevartovsknefteorgsintez" in the city of Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. On the same day, 16 military and infrastructure targets on Russian territory were hit, including refineries, airfields, and a missile unit. As a result of the drone attack, Russia's fourth-largest refinery completely halted crude oil processing due to damage to several units. The plant is the second-largest gasoline producer in the Russian Federation and is capable of processing around 15 million tons of oil per year.

### Contradictory Data

When comparing various publications that reference the same Zelensky speech, a discrepancy in the figures for current production emerges. In the main body of the statement conveyed by RBC-Ukraine, the average rate is given as "300" long-range drones per day. However, in the headline of the Obozrevatel piece (Source ID 4), the wording reads "when a thousand drones, not a hundred, fly toward Moscow," implying a current level of 100 units. The difference may be linked to the fact that during the speech the president used different estimates (perhaps 100 for a separate category, 300 in aggregate), or to an imprecision in transmitting the quote. In addition, the original transcript of the Telegram channel contains clear errors in the automatic voice transcription: the word "strikes" is rendered as "sanctions," and "strikes" as "distraiki." The present article uses the correct terms.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ukraine plans to launch 1,000 drones a day at Russia: Zelensky sets the task](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-vipuskatime-1000-dalekobiynih-droniv-1787934714.html) - Основной источник цитаты Зеленского. Подтверждает цифры 300/1000, перечень областей, упоминание перехватчиков и удар по НПЗ.
- ["A thousand long-range drones a day": Zelensky sets the task that should ...](https://www.obozrevatel.com/politics-news/tyisyacha-dronov-dalnego-radiusa-dejstviya-v-den-zelenskij-postavil-zadachu-kotoraya-dolzhna-zastavit-rossiyu-zavershit-vojnu-video.htm) - Подтверждает целевой показатель 1000 дронов/сутки и контекст заседания Ставки.
- [Zelensky talks about plans to push Putin out of Moscow](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4892159-zelenskyi-rasskazal-o-planakh-vydavyt-putyna-yz-moskvy) - Дополнительный контекст по риторике Зеленского о давлении на РФ. Не содержит противоречий.
- ["When a thousand drones, not a hundred, fly toward Moscow": Zelensky explains how it is possible ...](https://www.obozrevatel.com/politics-news/kogda-v-storonu-moskvyi-poletit-ne-sto-dronov-a-tyisyacha-zelenskij-rasskazal-kak-mozhno-zastavit-putina-ostanovit-vojnu.htm) - Подтверждает целевой показатель 1000 дронов/сутки и контекст заседания Ставки.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the current level of long-range drone production in Ukraine?
**A:** According to Zelensky, the average rate is around 300 long-range UAVs per day. One paraphrased headline cites the figure of 100, which may reflect a different category or a transmission inaccuracy.

### Q: What is the target production goal?
**A:** Zelensky set the task of ramping up output to 1,000 long-range drones per day — more than a threefold increase over the current level.

### Q: What happened at the Kstovo refinery on August 26?
**A:** On the night of August 26, 2026, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck the "Lukoil-Nizhnevartovsknefteorgsintez" refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. The plant, which is Russia's 4th-largest refinery and 2nd-largest gasoline producer, completely halted crude oil processing. On the same day, 16 targets on Russian territory were hit.

### Q: Why does Zelensky stress the need to produce interceptors?
**A:** In his words, Russia is making massive use of jet-powered modifications of the "Shahed" drones, which strike Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and several oblasts. Countering precisely jet-powered UAVs requires accelerated production of specialized interceptors.