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https://www.ft.com/content/3135edf7-2b80-4df4-9923-b96382d2fee5

Russia deploys ‘Albatross’ made in Iran-backed drone factory
Facility at centre of Russo-Iranian UAV partnership has recruited
specialist engineers and Farsi speakers


Russia’s covert drone partnership with Iran has included close co-operation on a new factory in the Russian republic of Tatarstan,
where Moscow has converted an agricultural unmanned aerial vehicle maker
to supply its war effort in Ukraine.

Albatross, the company operating on a key site for Russo-Iranian
collaboration, has produced reconnaissance drones for President Vladimir Putin’s defence ministry, with roughly 50 delivered for combat in
eastern Ukraine.

The factory is at the centre of an expanding tech partnership with
Tehran, whose expertise Moscow has relied on to establish a domestic drone-building capability to support its invasion and further skirt
western sanctions.

Activity at the Russian facility has increased in recent months, with
the business park where it is based launching a recruitment drive for
UAV engineers and Farsi speakers able to translate “technical
documents”, according to adverts and social media posts.

Albatross, a Russian group that previously specialised in farming tech,
built its new factory inside the Alabuga special economic zone in
Tatarstan — a site the US has claimed is the centre of the
Tehran-supported effort to develop Russia’s capacity in making drones.

In a video released last month, Russia’s Ministry of Defence showed
soldiers in Ukraine launching reconnaissance drones, which it referred
to as “Albatross” drones. In a statement to Russian state media, the company said they had supplied 50 M5 drones. The drones appear identical
to ones being built at the Alabuga factory.

An official Russian video shows reconnaissance drones being launched in
Ukraine
info
© Russian Ministry of Defence
An official Russian video shows reconnaissance drones being launched in
Ukraine
In February, the Institute for Science and International Security, a
Washington think-tank, first reported that Albatross had established
itself in Alabuga and they noted job advertisements had been placed in
the area for UAV engineers. From October 2022, the business park sought candidates for roles with titles such as “UAV production director”, “UAV designer” and “UAV chief technologist”.

Airwars, a conflict monitoring group based at Goldsmiths, a college of
the University of London, found several ads for UAV-related jobs cited a requirement to understand “reverse-engineering processes”.

In addition, they found the business park has also posted advertisements
for Farsi interpreters who will be required to travel, perform
simultaneous translation and translate technical documents.

In June, the White House issued satellite photographs that identified
two buildings in the Alabuga zone area as a key part of Iran’s attempts
to help Moscow increase its drone capacity. “We are also concerned that Russia is working with Iran to produce Iranian UAVs from inside Russia,”
said John Kirby, the US National Security Council spokesperson.


A satellite image of Russia’s Alabuga special economic zone, showing the buildings where the US says drones are being made © Maxar/Avecilla Amado
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The Financial Times and Airwars have identified Albatross as the
drone-builder in one of those buildings. Statements by Albatross on the
floor space of their facilities match the official dimensions of one of
the buildings. In addition, an address listed on Albatross’s website
seems to correspond to the location identified by the US photograph.

Samuel Bendett, an expert on autonomous weaponry at the Center for Naval Analyses, said: “If Russia wants to do something covert with Iran, this
is an advantageous location. It’s on the river that flows into the
Volga, so you can bring parts by ship from Iran covertly.”

“It is very close to Kazan, one of Russia’s high-tech manufacturing hubs,” he added. “All you have to do is take a boat cruise.”


Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of Shahed “kamikaze” loitering drones, which have been flown in swarms into Ukrainian infrastructure
and neighbourhoods. FT and Airwars have not, however, found proof that a
Shahed drone is being manufactured at the plant. According to US
intelligence, Moscow has procured hundreds of the suicide drones from
Tehran.

The White House claimed Alabuga was a still-expanding industrial site
where an Iranian-Russian drone plant could become fully operational
early next year. Photos and videos from Russian social media and local
media outlets indicate Albatross commenced some drone production at the
site in January.

Albatross described itself as a maker of commercial drones for
agricultural purposes and mapping. But Ilya Voronkov, the company’s co-founder, has admitted in interviews to supplying the military. He has
also acknowledged buying carbon fibre from Alabuga-Fiber, a neighbouring company that was later hit with sanctions by the US for its role in
Russia’s military programmes.

Voronkov has said 70 per cent of Albatross’ components are Russian-made, while other parts such as the engine are from China. The drone
manufacturer’s website advertises cameras, electronics and other
equipment from European, US and Asian companies.


Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of Shahed ‘kamikaze’ loitering drones © Sobhan Farajvan/ZUMA/Alamy

A Russian soldier launches an Albatross M5 drone in Ukraine ©
Albatros/YouTube
Iran’s drone programme has been growing steadily since the 1990s.
Bendett, from the Center for Naval Analyses, said: “The Iranians already
have a mature, proven technology. Iranian drones are in that sweet spot
between those very expensive drones that can range very far and those
smaller drones that don’t fly more than 100km. It’s a fairly
sophisticated enterprise.”

Iran has supplied UAVs to proxies and partner countries since the early
2000s, both through direct weapons transfers and through the provision
of UAV assembly kits.

Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro confirmed in 2012 that his
government bought drone manufacturing technology, as well as
infrastructure, from the Iranian regime.

One of those drones, the ANSU-100, was unveiled last year during a
presidential parade in Venezuela — and is essentially a carbon copy of
the Mohajer-2, an Iranian drone, apparently fitted with
Venezuelan-sourced armaments.

In 2022, Iran set up a drone manufacturing facility in Dushanbe, the
capital city of nearby Tajikistan. This factory reportedly only
manufactures the Ababil-2, a lightweight drone that has not yet been
identified in Ukraine.

Iranian UAVs — including earlier versions of the Shahed drones — have
been used by the Houthi rebels in Yemen and by the Ethiopian government
against Tigrayan rebels in 2021.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, last month said
the Islamic republic had not provided any sides at the war with weapons
and called the allegations “politically motivated”.

“Those who make these claims have not shown any evidence to prove their claims,” he said.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2023. All rights reserved.
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