Russia's drone production jumps in May after Putin request, think tank says

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's drone production jumped by 16.9% in May compared to the previous month, data from a think tank close to the government showed on Friday, after President Vladimir Putin called for output to be stepped up.

Putin in April said that more than 1.5 million drones of various types had been produced last year, including about 4,000 first-person view (FPV) drones - lightweight models designed for precision targeting - but said that troops fighting on the front line in Ukraine needed more.

Both sides have deployed drones on a huge scale, using them to spot and hit targets not only on the battlefield but way beyond the front lines.

Drone production growth of 16.9% in May was significantly higher than previous months, according to the Centre for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, an economic think tank close to the government.

The average monthly increase in the previous five months was 3.7%, the report said, and the level in May was 1.6 times higher than average monthly output in 2024.

Moscow has been developing a new laser-based system to defend against drones, especially important as Ukrainian drones frequently strike sites deep inside Russia such as oil depots, refineries and airfields.



(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander MarrowEditing by Andrew Osborn)