Andrey Potemkin, deputy head of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, said infrastructure for unmanned aviation was already operating in some regions, including Tatarstan, while similar projects were being developed in Russia’s Far East, Anadolu Agency reported.
“By 2030, we plan to equip 35 Russian regions with infrastructure for unmanned aviation,” Potemkin said at the Rostki: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation business forum in Kazan.
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The planned infrastructure is intended to support what Potemkin described as a developing “low-altitude economy,” with unmanned aircraft potentially used for a range of civilian applications.
Russia has seen a significant increase in unmanned aircraft activity. Potemkin said the country recorded 178,000 drone flights in 2025, representing a 20% increase from the previous year. The figure covers flights supported by air traffic management services.
The expansion comes as Russia seeks to develop a broader ecosystem around unmanned aviation, including infrastructure that could allow civilian drones to operate more systematically across different regions.
Tatarstan is already among the regions developing drone-related infrastructure, while the Russian Far East is also becoming a focus for the sector.
The Rostki forum, being held in Kazan from August 16 to 19, focuses on economic and technological cooperation between Russian regions and China.
Russia’s plans to establish unmanned aviation infrastructure across 35 regions by the end of the decade highlight the growing importance of drones not only in military applications but also in the country’s plans for transport, technology and emerging low-altitude economic activity.
