Ukraine ramps up mass production of low-cost Shahed alternative
Photo: Ukrainian FP-1 strike drone (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine has ramped up mass production of the long-range strike drone FP-1, first unveiled in May 2025. The drone is now being manufactured at a pace matching Russia’s large Shahed-production plant in Alabuga, according to Associated Press and Defense Express.
It is noted that approximately 100 units of FP-1 are manufactured per day. Each unit costs about $55,000, which is significantly cheaper than the Shahed.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence estimates Russia is also producing roughly 100 Shaheds per day. In 2023, a single Shahed cost $193,000.
The price may have changed since then. On the one hand, certain components have been simplified, but on the other hand, Russia has begun installing costly 8- and 12-element Kometa-M CRPA satellite navigation modules.
The report notes FP-1 is not the only Ukrainian strike drone hitting targets in Russia nightly. The production figures for other drones show a significant number.
Why is FP-1 cheaper
According to the report, the main material used to build the FP-1 is plywood. Since the drone is disposable, its design is intended for a single flight, which allows savings even on fastenings.
Photo: Ukrainian drone FP-1 (mezha.media)
Unlike the Ukrainian FP-1, the Shahed is produced in a more complex way and with more expensive materials, as the Iranian Shahed-136 is essentially a copy of the Israeli IAI Harpy drone. The latter, in turn, is fully based on the German experimental UAV DAR from the 1980s.
There’s another point: Shahed clones - the so-called Russian drones Geran-2 and Garpiya-1 - are larger, requiring more powerful engines.
Meanwhile, the FP-1 carries a 60 kg warhead with a range of up to 1,600 km. Developers claim the warhead can be increased to 120 kg at the cost of reduced range. For Shaheds and Gerans, such an option doesn’t exist; their warheads are fixed at 90 kg and cannot be replaced.
Not just drones, but the Flamingo missile too
The report also highlights Ukraine’s new cruise missile. According to the media, Ukraine produces one Flamingo cruise missile daily, strengthening its defense capabilities.
Earlier reports noted that Ukraine began serial production of Flamingo missiles, which feature a warhead twice as powerful as that of the American Tomahawk missile.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Denis Shmyhal described it as very powerful weaponry and promised to reveal more later.
More details on Ukraine’s development and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s comments can be found in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
