According to a report by the Institute for Science and International Security, satellite imagery shows that a plant in Russia is being constructed to mass produce Iranian-designed kamikaze drones, which Moscow is expected to use against Ukrainian energy facilities.
Despite the progress in construction, neither the United States nor its allies have imposed sanctions on the plant’s owner, JSC Alabuga, or its associated companies.
The White House, the Russian embassy, and Iran’s U.N. mission did not provide immediate comment on the report.
The report stated that a mid-September satellite image revealed new construction at the plant, which directly matched a leaked building floor plan that had been shared with the institute earlier this year by the Washington Post.
According to other leaked documents, the building is intended for the mass production of Iran’s Shahed-136, with the goal of improving Iranian fabrication processes and advancing the drone’s capabilities.
The satellite image also showed the construction of other structures and new security perimeters with checkpoints.
The report predicts that Russia may accelerate its Shahed-136 attacks against Ukraine’s vital energy infrastructure as winter approaches, leading to harsh living conditions for the civilian population.
According to the report, a necessary but overdue step is for Washington to sanction Alabuga and its associated companies.
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy has also warned his country to prepare for Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, following waves of such attacks last winter.
The plant is located 500 miles (800 km) east of Moscow in the Tartarstan Republic, with Alabuga JSC being 66 percent owned by the federal government and 34 percent by the republic.
In June, the White House stated that Russia and Iran were deepening their defense cooperation, with Tehran working with Moscow to produce Iranian drones in Alabuga.
(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Sandra Maler)
