Stacey Pettyjohn
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Russia expanding carbon-fiber facility that could boost drone output by 78%
Russia's Alabuga-Volokno plant in Tatarstan is being expanded to produce an additional 500 tons of aerospace-grade carbon fiber per year by 2029, according to internal Rosatom documents collected by the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation. Experts cited in the documents estimate the extra carbon fiber would enable production of roughly 28,000 additional long-range strike drones per year, an estimated 78% increase over current capacity of more than 36,000 Shahed/Geran-type kamikaze drones annually. The Russian government approved Rosatom's plans in May; satellite imagery from May through August shows land being cleared and foundations prepared for the new line, scheduled for completion in 2027.