The Russian Federation produces 2,700 Shahed (Geran) attack drones per month, and roughly the same number of drone simulators, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported to Forbes Ukraine.
According to the estimates, from January to May the Russian forces launched nearly 13,000 Shaheds and their simulators against Ukraine. The attack rates followed a cyclical pattern: one month about 2,500 drones, two months about 4,000, then one month about 2,500 units, followed by one month about 4,000.
“As of the end of May 2025, Russia’s production rate of the Shahed-136/Geran-2 stands at about 2,700 drones per month,” the Main Intelligence Directorate press service responded. The production rate of simulators for strike UAVs like the “Gerbera” is around 2,500 units. The new estimate of Russia’s Shahed production shows a fivefold increase compared to summer 2024,” the publication writes.
Russia began using drone simulators alongside real Shaheds against Ukraine starting autumn 2024. These simulators are made of cheap materials, carry no warheads or only small charges, but are almost impossible to distinguish in the sky. This tactic aims to overload the Ukrainian air defense system.
