Russia ramps up drone weapon production as Ukraine strikes occupied power sites

Russia’s annual drone conference, Dronnice, held in Veliky Novgorod, gathered over 2,000 participants, including state officials. Organisers declared two main goals: “preparing for a big war with NATO” and turning the tide of the current drone war in Russia’s favour. The country is accelerating the output of unmanned systems to support its operations in Ukraine, prompting NATO officials to warn of possible Russian provocations against Baltic states and Poland.

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces reported that, over the past 48 hours, they disabled 16 power substations in Russian‑occupied Crimea and in occupied parts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk. Drone‑captured thermal and night‑vision footage showed the strikes, which are part of a broader campaign to damage critical infrastructure, hamper logistics and pressure Russian‑held territories.