Putin says army to receive 'almost ten times' more drones in 2024 than in previous year

Russian president Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting with defence and military industry officials, focusing on the "developing of unmanned aerial vehicles" for the Russian army. Putin said that Moscow's army received "about 140 thousand unmanned vehicles of various types" in 2023 and claimed that the production of drones by Russia would increase "by almost 10 times."

As Putin noted, Russia's national project concerning unmanned systems has been in place since this year and will continue until 2030. One of its main goals is to boost the development and production of domestic components and materials for drones, he said, adding that it is crucial for achieving technological independence in this significant field.