Published on: 2026-06-09
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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During a working trip to the Sakhalin region, Deputy Prime Minister – plenipotentiary representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev visited the unmanned aerial vehicle production site, which was opened in the region at the beginning of the summer. The Deputy Prime Minister also visited the student campus “Sakhalinets,” built within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children.”
In 2026, an enterprise for the development and manufacture of drones was established in the island region. Here, serial production of unmanned aerial vehicles of the “Veles” brand was launched under the state defense order. The strike-reconnaissance devices of this series are widely used in the special military operation zone.
“Drone production has been established here, and among other things, issues of countering drones that fly into Russian territory are being addressed. The whole world faces this kind of threat. We will have to look for answers to these threats. Moreover, we must seek and find ways to counter those who aim to strike economic facilities and the homes of peaceful residents. There is no solution that can be applied once and for all to win, unfortunately. We will have to search for answers dynamically, responding each time to the actions of the adversary,” said Yuri Trutnev.
By summer, the enterprise plans to manufacture 8 thousand drones. And after the commissioning of the assembly conveyor, the capacity of the production line will be 5 thousand drones per month. The company already employs 17 veterans of special military operations. To expand production, an additional 50 jobs are being created.
“Today, residents of Salair and Kurilchane, together with patriots from all over the country, are defending the western borders of Russia. Our commitment to the heroes is to provide all possible support to the front. More than 7.2 thousand units of equipment have already been transferred to the special military operation zone. The volunteer group of the ‘Complicity’ project has delivered over 1 thousand tons of humanitarian cargo to the fighters. The establishment of a site for the production of military drones is an additional contribution by the island region to the victory that will certainly be with us,” noted the region’s governor, Valery Limarenko.
In the Samara region, the development of maritime unmanned vehicles is underway. In 2025, at the NPC “Wings of Samara,” a model called the BEK-kamikaze was created, which can be used as a strike weapon. The design of the water drone is based on maximum simplicity and minimal cost of manufacture. Two prototypes were handed over to the Pacific Fleet for tactical testing. During the operational exercises of the Russian Navy “July Storm,” held in 2025, the BEK, created by island engineers, demonstrated resistance to damage from small automatic weapons.
Yury Trutnev also presented the program of the International Forum of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at the “Wings of Sakhalin” site, which is the venue for the Eastern Economic Forum. The large-scale event will take place in the region from July 3 to 4 at Russia’s first drone port, Pushistyy. It is expected that this year about 2,500 people will participate in the forum in an in-person and remote format, including representatives of the EAEU countries, BRICS, the diplomatic corps of foreign countries in Russia, leading industry experts, as well as representatives of major Russian and foreign corporations and business development institutes.
Today in the Sakhalin region, more than 70 scenarios for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles are being implemented. The forum will present the best technological solutions of the regions. Guests will see hydroacoustic stations, a marine robot, and scenarios for its use, including in the oil and gas industry. In addition, the forum will host the Far Eastern small aviation meeting, a festival for schoolchildren and youth “Take Off!” and sports competitions with drone races.
The Samara region holds leading positions in the country in the application of unmanned aviation systems in the national economy. This year, the region was the first in Russia to join the unified identification system for UAV operators based on the ERA-GLONASS system. The platform was created by the Ministry of Transport under the instructions of President Vladimir Putin and allows tracking the movement of aircraft, ensuring transparency and safety of their use.At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which concluded last week, the government of the Sakhalin region, the airline “Aurora,” and the leading developer of unmanned systems in Russia – the ZALA group of companies – signed an agreement on expanding cooperation. Within the framework of agreements in the island region, the partners will deploy a modern navigation and communication system for manned and unmanned aviation.
On the same day, Yuri Trutnev familiarized himself with the creation of a modern campus in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Such campuses are being created in various regions of the country by order of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. The Vice Prime Minister inspected the infrastructure of the student town with 1,500 places, which will be commissioned in 2025. It includes three buildings connected by a stylobate. Today, the student town is inhabited by students and teachers. They live in a residential block designed for comfort: each has two rooms intended for two people. All residential blocks are equipped with a bathroom, shower, and kitchen.Student leisure is organized to be maximally comfortable: at their disposal are a cafe, a canteen, a fitness hall, a laundry, and a coworking space.
The “Salinte” campus is intended to become a focal point for talented youth, to contribute to the development of the region’s innovation economy and to strengthen its scientific potential.
“Sakhalin State University has become a key university for Gazprom. They train young specialists to solve scientific and technological problems together with industrial partners in the interest of our region. In the upcoming academic year, a master’s program will be launched to train engineers in the field of developing marine oil and gas fields. The educational program was prepared by specialists with unique experience in underwater hydrocarbon extraction. Interest in the island university is growing. This year, enrollment in educational programs is increasing by 25%,” Valery Limarenko said.
By the end of 2027, it is planned to complete the construction of a scientific and educational center in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. This event will be the final stage in the creation of the campus. As of today, the technical readiness of the facility is 45%. An intensive work schedule has been established at the construction site. A total of 509 workers have been involved in the construction, and by the end of July, the contractor plans to increase the number to 677. The total area of the center is 88.7 thousand square meters. It will include an educational complex, a technopark with scientific research laboratories, a library, a swimming pool, two sports halls with stands, a greenhouse, and an underground parking lot.
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