ISP Tearline Team Reports on Russia’s Construction of Defense Towers near Yelabuga Drone Facility

ISP’s Tearline student research team recently published an open-source report analyzing key takeaways regarding the Russian Federation’s construction of two defense towers near its Yelabuga drone facility following Ukrainian airstrikes in Tatarstan throughout 2025. Although the effectiveness of these defense towers in countering drones remains unclear, the team assessed that Moscow’s rapid construction of these towers near the Yelabuga drone factories likely indicates the significance of the factories to the Kremlin’s drone production goals. Furthermore, their placement also reveals Russia’s concerns about future Ukrainian drone strikes targeting the factories. Read the full report HERE. 

The report was a collaborative effort between ISP and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency as part of the agency’s Tearline initiative.