Putin Inspects His "Failing Economy" in Samara Region

An S-80 Delivery Drone produced by the Samara Research and Production Centre based in Togliatti. Here’s what the Kremlin had to say:

Vladimir Putin visited the Samara Research and Production Center, which was created as part of the implementation of the national project "Unmanned Aviation Systems" and is the basis of the unmanned aviation cluster in the Samara region.

The President toured the development, assembly and testing areas of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). In particular, the Head of State was shown ready-made copter-type vertical take-off and landing aircraft that will be used in agriculture. Modification of the S-80 for agriculture in September 2024 became the first mass drone to receive the UAS type certificate. This allows you to use the drone for performing commercial work, for example, in logistics—for delivering up to 20 kg of goods.

SPC of unmanned aircraft systems "Samara" is a public infrastructure platform for resident innovators, located in Togliatti. The founders of the NPC are the Transport of the Future company, which is also an anchor resident of the center, the government of the Samara Region, the NPI Platform, and the Zhigulevskaya Dolina Technopark.

Putin went on to tour the AvtoVAZ joint-stock company plant and talk with its management and workforce:

AvtoVAZ is Russia's largest manufacturer of passenger cars with the highest level of localization. AvtoVAZ Group unites four production sites - in Togliatti, St. Petersburg, Izhevsk and Argun, connects more than 1,600 suppliers of components and 338 dealerships throughout Russia. In 2024, more than 525 thousand cars rolled off the assembly line of AvtoVAZ. In April 2025, AvtoVAZ will celebrate 55 years since the release of its first car, the VAZ – 2101 Zhiguli.

Here’s the new T-134 SUV

As usual with these tours, Putin takes time to talk with workers to get their POV, and although there’s quite a lot of banter and repetition many smaller facts of life within Russia get revealed which is very helpful when filling in the picture.

Vladimir Putin: Good evening!

How do you feel about yourself?

Remark: Fine.

Vladimir Putin: Excellent. I see that the plant is developing very well. Everyone predicted the demise of AVTOVAZ, but nothing happened.

Remark: They won't wait.

Vladimir Putin: I agree, that's right. And the development is good, labor productivity is increasing. The number of cars produced is increasing. Congratulations on that.

Reply: With your help, we improve.

Vladimir Putin: All together. And the models are getting better and better. But you saw me take a ride in the summer. What is the name of the model? "Aura, right?

Remark: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: I took a ride. I liked it very much. You turn on reverse gear and the camera works. Visibility is good, manageability. So that's great.

Is there anything you'd like to ask? You are welcome.

Question: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich!

Thank you for visiting our automobile factory again. We always feel your attention. We will always support you, too, and you can count on us. We will develop, increase production and produce new, modern models.

This year AvtoVAZ celebrates the 55th anniversary of the first car production, and next year-the 60th anniversary of the plant's foundation.

For factory workers, it is very important that our hometown is comfortable and modern. A lot has already been done in this direction. I would like to ask: do you still have any plans for the development of roads, cultural, social and sports facilities in our country?

Vladimir Putin: We were just on our way, and we talked about this with the governor. In the Samara-Togliatti agglomeration, 90 percent of roads are already in standard condition, and regional roads-50 percent are in standard condition. But, quite correctly, the governor also drew attention to this, local roads, of course, require special attention. He says: we have an automobile capital, in fact, and roads, especially regional ones, do not meet the norm, at least local roads. There is a definite plan. Vyacheslav Andreevich will tell you now.

Vladimir Fedorishchev [Regional Governor]: Mr President, first of all, I was asked a question here at the plant when I was acting director, about roads. We looked carefully. Indeed, the federal roads are in a standard state, bypass Togliatti, and a very serious object has been built.

Vladimir Putin: We opened a detour in June or July.

V. Fedorishchev: In July.

Vladimir Putin: I took part.

V. Fedorishchev: That's right. And we looked at the local roads – insufficient attention. I traveled by myself, and they gave me several addresses. You know, it's a shame, the city is very young and modern. So we decided to increase the budget for municipal roads by four billion rubles last year, and this year we are doing the same.

What is the quality of life? Literally, we see a large volume of construction work starting in the spring, and by July, by August, the roads will be updated. We will do this systematically from year to year in order to bring our regional and municipal roads up to standard condition.

In terms of celebration, this is actually a significant date. The city is beautiful, 60 years old. Therefore, we decided that we will make a separate program. I told you, three schools. We will have five schools, and two are already under construction.

Vladimir Putin: This is about social work. Two schools are under construction. Now we were driving in a car, the governor said that three more will be built in the near future. The year before last, the track and field arena and stadium were launched. I don't remember how many, but several dozen sports facilities will be built in Samara and Togliatti for mass sports, primarily for passing the TRP standards and so on.

As for healthcare, we have discussed it, it is planned, it is already being designed, and I hope construction will begin this year, and a multi-specialty children's hospital will be commissioned in 2027. Schools, healthcare facilities, and sports facilities will all be developed.

Remark: You may also note, Mr President, that in 2022 the first stage of the embankment was opened in the Avtozavodsky district of Togliatti. This place has become a favorite holiday destination for citizens and the pride of our city.

Vladimir Putin: I know, I looked it up.

Reply: We very much ask and look forward to further development of the embankment.

Vladimir Putin: This object is not only for recreation, it is also a hydraulic structure associated with the retention of the coast, a large complex of engineering works. This project is being implemented in three stages. The first stage has been implemented, the second one has also been implemented, and the third one–-the governor will explain now, as far as I understand, is still suspended due to the revision of budget documentation due to inflation and rising prices. I assume that you will finish it soon. I agree with you; this needs to be completed.

Vladimir Fedorishchev: Mr President, I am reporting to you. First of all, we would like to invite you to see the embankment, you have not been there yet, it is wonderful, modern, and sporty, and for children.

We will completely redesign the third stage. Why? Because we have provided for the further development of the city, very large areas that can be used as a stadium. We have very active people began to engage in different sports. We love hockey and we love football. Our team entered the league. Therefore, we are planning very carefully, because now is a difficult time for economic decisions.

The embankment will be one kilometer 800 meters. It is expensive, but we will find an opportunity and work a little better. And we will definitely implement it within three years. And the factory workers here simply make their wonderful products, so that we can finance it with taxes later.

Vladimir Putin: I wasn't wrong.

Something else?

Remark: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich!

AvtoVAZ has been cooperating with Togliatti State University for many years. It is important that the youth of the city and region study in a modern and well-equipped university.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about creating campuses for universities. I would like to know about the plans for their creation and development in the Samara region. Is it possible to support the construction of a campus in our city as well? It can also be a joint campus for the university and AvtoVAZ to work on joint projects. Laboratories for students and engineers, sports facilities and dormitories. After all, we have a lot of joint projects with Togliatti State University. For example, together we have created and are developing the advanced engineering school "Hybrid Tech".

Vladimir Putin: We are planning to build 25 such campuses across the country. And one such project is being implemented in Samara. It is quite large, and I am afraid to make a mistake in the numbers right now, but more than half of the space under construction is provided for students to live in. This topic is well known to me, because I work on it with colleagues from the Government. We have 25 campuses. And the next stage should be before 2036. We are already starting to select new locations for these buildings. In principle, it is also possible to build such a campus in Togliatti.

As for Samara, it should be interregional, by the way, affecting the needs of Togliatti. But you can also make a separate campus for Togliatti. It can get into the following program. However, you only need to leave the relevant request in a timely manner.

In general, I think it will also be in demand here, bearing in mind that you are actively developing self-driving here, and a very good center has been created here, which we plan to make one of the most significant in the country. There are other areas of activity, including AvtoVAZ. There is a lot to do here and a lot to attract young people.

Therefore, it is quite likely that it is still necessary to do this in this area, meaning Togliatti. But, I repeat once again, the application must be submitted in a timely manner and well-founded.

Reply: Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: In general, this area of activity is developing very well in the Samara Region and Togliatti.

Vladimir Fedorishchev: Mr President, thank you for the decision to set up a campus in Samara. It was timely. 140 thousand square meters. At the same time, there are five thousand places in the hostel, which is very important for us.

Vladimir Putin: 144 thousand.

Vladimir Fedorishchev: Five thousand students. Moreover, we looked at Togliatti, as you know, there is a large shortage of dormitories. Many children want to come here, we have a strong school. So we decided that while we are preparing an application for Togliatti, and most importantly-to create a campus in Samara, to show that we can do this, we will finance one hostel together with the Russian Government from the regional budget. We already have a shortage of 820 places in the hostel. And as the program develops, we will report to you that we will create a separate UAV institute on the basis of Togliatti University.

Vladimir Putin: But it's not just a dorm. The campus provides a space for communication, a space for creative activity, and a space for working in a comfortable environment. This is a place where not only young people will communicate with each other, but also citizens can use this space. These are very interesting and promising projects.

Vladimir Fedorishchev: And talented graduates will come back to teach, tell stories, and share their experience.

Remark: And work for AvtoVAZ.

Vladimir Fedorishchev: And work for AvtoVAZ.

Vladimir Putin: But people living in the region will also use all this space. So here I outlined the prospects.

Reply: Thank you.

Remark: Vladimir Vladimirovich, good evening!

You have already seen our product, AvtoVAZ has a new, modern product-this is Lada Aura.

Vladimir Putin: I didn't look, I was driving it. Did I drive it?

Repliy: You drove it.

Remark: In 2023, you have instructed that civil servants should drive Russian cars. It would be nice to introduce the same rules for state-owned companies, state corporations and other state-owned enterprises, as well as taxi services. So that they do not use cars that are manufactured abroad, but are assembled in Russia from large imported components, and drive domestic cars with a large percentage of localization, which are created by engineers in our country and which are made from Russian components.

Vladimir Putin: You say that because you want to convince me of it. I agree with you. You yourself have remembered what I am talking about: it is necessary to transfer officials to Russian cars. Indeed, there is such a command.

But, unfortunately, I look at what is happening in this area, and this instruction has not yet been fully implemented. I won't talk about the details right now. This is the first one.

Second, as for state-owned companies. And here, of course, it is necessary to bring the matter to the end, so that everyone changes to domestic cars. What is the problem? Because until now, our specialists in some industries cannot decide what a car made in Russia is, how to calculate this level of localization. In my opinion, the Duma is also doing this.

But it will be brought to the end, that's for sure absolutely. I promise you that. We also need to support manufacturers like you, bearing in mind that citizens are buying fewer cars on credit now, and that credit resources have become expensive.

You have increased production to 525 thousand.

V. Fedorishchev: 525 thousand.

Vladimir Putin: ... Last year. And now, I know, they didn't tell me, but I saw on the references that a little less is planned-505 thousand, in my opinion.

Vladimir Fedorishchev: Yes, because demand is declining.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, demand is reduced, that's right. Demand is declining because of the key rate, because of the rates of commercial banks. It just made it harder for people to take out loans. But we need to support it. We have always done this in difficult times for the automotive industry. And this is one of the forms of support that is completely neutral and does not oblige anyone to anything, but is absolutely natural for any country – this is the transfer of officials. If the state buys something to be used by people who work in the civil service, let them buy their own cars. This is quite obvious.

But as for state-owned companies, this decision was also made at the end of last year by the Government. But, I repeat once again, everything needs to be completed here, including understanding what localization is in Russia. I have an idea of what it is, and I'm doing it too.

Therefore, we will definitely move along this path. This will be, by the way, one of the forms of support. Moreover, it is effective and absolutely marketable. The state buys its own-this is an absolutely natural thing.

The same goes for taxis. Here, of course, you need to find a balance between carriers and manufacturers. I drove this car. I can confidently say that it exactly meets the requirements of today: both technical requirements and comfort requirements. Therefore, we will definitely work on this, too. You are absolutely right, I agree with you absolutely.

Replica: Thank you very much.

Remark: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, good evening!

I would like to express my deep gratitude to you for the support of the members of the SVO. At AvtoVAZ, we also pay special attention to the participants of the SVO and their families. The leaders and the trade union of our factory are assigned to the families of our fighters. We highlight various development and support programs.

AvtoVAZ allocates funds to support our front, allocates cars for our front. As far as I know, on February 23, another 50 such vehicles will leave for the special military operation zone.

Our guys are returning to their jobs, to the same places, and the opportunity to transfer to other positions has been provided. If they have a higher education, they are eligible for line managers and engineering positions.

I have such a question for you on behalf of all the guys who are returning from the SVO zone. On January 25 of this year, the second wave of the "Time of Heroes" program ended.

Vladimir Putin: Do you mean a set?

Remark: Yes, set in this program. How do you see the success of this program? Are there any plans to develop this program in the regions of our country?

Vladimir Putin: This program is only one of the segments of attention to people who risk their lives and their health for the sake of Russia, only one of the segments. This work should certainly be broader and more flexible.

The governor and I have just spoken with the plenipotentiary representative. People are returning and will continue to return from the special military operation zone. They should be employed, they should work, and they should work with dignity, with a decent level of wages. And in advance, in all regions of the Russian Federation, regional leaders should think about how to build this work.

This work is being carried out both in Samara and Togliatti. And when I initiated this program, I assumed that it would be adopted at the regional level as well. This is exactly what is happening in many regions, including Samara.

What do I mean? First of all, we have 44 thousand applications submitted. 88 people, in my opinion, we have selected, the first stream. Almost all of them are distributed. The conditions here are quite difficult. You need to have a higher education, managerial experience, relevant potential, and so on. But, first of all, we need to think right now, this is being done in principle, but we will do it on a systematic basis, how to help those children who, for example, do not have this higher education, help them get it. The Government has an assignment, and the Government is thinking about how to improve this work with the guys.

Work is also being done at the regional level. First of all, from the first stream, if my memory serves me correctly, by the way, we are now going to hold a meeting on unmanned vehicles, the center is headed by a person who has passed through this program.

Your regional programs are also developing quite well. And, in my opinion, about ten people have already been selected, guys who work in both regional and city authorities. In my opinion, one of the guys who passed your regional program has already been appointed adviser to the head of Togliatti. And you also took the city governor as an adviser?

Vladimir Fedorishchev: Mr Putin, that's right, both as a councilor and as the head of the municipality.

Vladimir Putin: 10 people have already been assigned to various positions.

But the most important thing, I repeat once again, is that this is only one of the segments of preparing children to return to civilian life, they must find their place. And we will do everything we can to make it so.

Remark: Good evening, Vladimir Vladimirovich!

Vladimir Vladimirovich, you have driven Lada cars yourself more than once, and you have tried them out. AvtoVAZ's products are modern and competitive; in the best years, about 300 thousand cars were exported per year. We hope that the state will support Lada's export, especially to distant countries.

Vladimir Putin: So it will be.

Remark: Transportation costs for the delivery of our vehicles to Africa, Vietnam, and the Middle East have increased significantly over the past few years, and export support is very important to us so that we can make attractive price offers for foreign markets. And this is especially important to us now, at such a difficult time, when so many ill-wishers of Russia are trying to cut off our connection with the entire outside world.

Vladimir Putin: So it will be. We have a whole program of state support for non-primary exports. And this is exactly what you just said: logistics, consulting support, insurance-related support, and so on, there is a whole set of support measures. Of course, we will also support the export of automotive products. "AvtoVAZ" should be one of the first here, there is no doubt about it. We have a program to increase exports until 2030 and beyond. This program will be executed. The question is to fill this program with real money. And those who do it, money is always small, but they say that you need to add – you need to think about it. There is no doubt about it, we are interested, the state is interested in it.

Replica: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: You're welcome. Thank you for your work.

Something else? You are welcome.

Mikhail Sokolov [VAZ CEO]: Thank you, Mr President. thank you.

Vladimir Putin: He won't let you talk, he's afraid to ask you something that you won't like. If you have any questions, please.

Remark: Mr President, we ask you to take part in the anniversary next year.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you, I'll do my best. Thank you very much.

At one time, the city was even renamed.

Mikhail Sokolov: There was Stavropol-on-the-Volga.

Vladimir Putin: There was Stavropol-on-the-Volga, named after an Italian communist. It doesn't matter whose name is called. Both AvtoVAZ and Togliatti have already become to some extent brands of Russia and the Russian automobile industry. And everything works out.

You know, I was very happy, to be honest, I was very happy that you managed to restore production. In reality, everyone thought that the plant had stopped, everything would crash, everything would stop, there was a huge dependence on our detractors, they ran away and thought that everything would fall apart for us.

Nothing like that. Thanks to your talent, hard work, faith in yourself and in the cause you serve, everything worked out. Yes, now due to financial issues related to the rate, with loans, a certain decline in sales is planned, but we will find a way to support automakers. We'll find it and do it.

I wish you all the best.

Reply: Thank you for your care and support. [My Emphasis]

I wonder how they select which workers get to meet with Putin as that dozen is only a very small proportion of the workforce. Now, would GM or Ford freely contribute their vehicles to a conflict? I doubt it very much; they will insist on payment. Training vets for leadership positions in government/Civil Service in the Outlaw US Empire even to the point of providing them with the education required to apply? ARGH!!! Socialism!!!!! We can’t have that. Putin mentioned that one of the first set of grads is now employed at the Samara Research and Production Center for Unmanned Aerial Systems at Togliatti in a management capacity. He appears in the video but is unnamed. And the meeting where Putin outlines the development of unmanned aircraft systems is what will conclude this report.

Vladimir Putin: Good evening, dear colleagues!

Today I propose to discuss a set of measures aimed at developing the domestic civil industry of unmanned aircraft systems.

What I would like to draw your attention to right away. In this, of course, promising area, we need not just to be self-sufficient, but to provide the domestic industry and the economy as a whole with various types of drones, their components and components produced in our country. All of this should definitely be done. But our goal is much broader: by 2030, Russia should become one of the global technology leaders in the field of unmanned aircraft systems. To do this, a powerful industry, infrastructure and service system for UAVs will have to be created on the domestic technological and production platform – both inside and outside the country. This area is designed to become one of the key areas in Russia's technological development.

To solve these problems, we have the necessary resources and, most importantly, the enormous potential of our scientists, designers, engineers, workers, and technology entrepreneurs. As I saw today from a fairly thorough re-orientation, there is both a desire and a fighting spirit to do all this. I would like to thank everyone involved in this field for their attitude and thank everyone who invests their hard work and talent in creating Russian unmanned aircraft. And I want to thank you for the impressive results. They are simply obvious.

Mass production of competitive products has been launched in a number of areas in a short time. In total, in 2024, compared to 2023, the production of civilian drones alone increased by more than 2.5 times.

But I repeat: the goal that we have set for ourselves is a comprehensive, systematic one, and without any exaggeration, it is a national goal. That is why it was decided to consolidate resources, to do this within the framework of a specialized national project, taking into account the huge importance of the industry for citizens, businesses, for the domestic economy and, of course, for ensuring the country's security. We discussed the implementation of this important document in detail in 2023 at a meeting in Moscow, in the Rudnevo Industrial Park.

Within the framework of the national project, more than four hundred domestic companies, more than four hundred, have already become residents of research and production centers. They create facilities for research and production of drones, as well as ground infrastructure for testing drones. In other words, all conditions are being created for promising ideas and startups to reach the stage of mass production as quickly as possible.

In total, 48 such centers are planned to be created in the next decade. Now there are already 15 of them, I think we can create even more, such centers are operating in Moscow and St. Petersburg, in the Novgorod, Ryazan, Sakhalin, Tomsk regions, in the Perm Region, in the republics of Udmurtia and Tatarstan, as well as here in the Samara region.

I would like to point out that the Togliatti center, where we are currently located, is going to be seriously expanded and form a research, education, and production cluster in the field of civil unmanned aviation on its basis, so that the city will become one of the flagships for the development of this advanced industry not only in Russia, but also in the world, which will create additional conditions for the growth of the entire region, for self-realization of talented, purposeful youth. This is an extremely important human and social dimension of all national projects of technological leadership. Of course, we will do this seriously.

As we have just said, I am also appealing to the head of the region. Of course, all this needs to be done, what we discussed today. If we are going to develop it at a faster pace here, in Togliatti, in the Samara region, we need to discuss all this with people, because people will live in this environment, and without their participation, such plans cannot be implemented. But we also need people to see the prospects and benefits of developing this area of activity.

Dear friends! We have just had a thorough and frank conversation with business representatives here at the research and production center, on the sidelines of a special exhibition. I am grateful to them for immersing me in the topic, in the material.

Colleagues directly say that, despite the generally good results achieved in a number of fundamental areas of the national project in the field of unmanned aircraft systems, including the regulatory framework, traffic is moving too slowly, and work on individual programs has been completely stopped due to a sharp reduction in funding. Let me remind you that these issues were also raised at the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects in December last year.

Obviously, the situation is difficult, competition in this area is acute in the world, and in order for Russia to be among the world's technological leaders in the field of unmanned aircraft by 2030, it is necessary to radically accelerate the development of the industry. Relevant decisions should be made as quickly as possible, and all key activities should be provided with appropriate funding.

What areas we are talking about – we have just discussed this in detail.

First of all, it is necessary, as experts say, to open the sky to civilian drones as soon as possible. I know that heads of law enforcement agencies and security agencies work with us via videoconference. This is a complex issue, especially today, and it is very sensitive. But we must move forward, we must do something. Despite all the current, objective difficulties and increased safety requirements, this is a fundamental issue for the rapid development of the industry, for testing and mass production of new products.

And in this regard, the first.

Just now, in the course of communication, not a decision was made, but a proposal was made to establish a new class of airspace of the Russian Federation for simplified use by unmanned aircraft. We discussed this with you, and we made suggestions about it. This measure is supported by the Federal Air Transport Agency, as far as I know. I ask the Government to adopt all the necessary regulatory framework by June 1 of this year, to determine specific flight heights for drones, as experts say—echelons. We just talked about this, this transition from one tier to another is the most critical thing, we need to work through everything properly. Vitaly Gennadyevich [Savelyev] will speak, and I hope you will also say a few words about this.

Moreover, access to such air echelons for certain types of drones, and the requirements for the technical operation of such devices should be simplified as much as possible. I would like to note that a number of countries have already taken similar steps, which contributed to their qualitative breakthrough in the development of unmanned aircraft.

Second. I believe that drone flights should be allowed in those regions where this is justified for security reasons and where there are other necessary conditions for this. I ask the Government to prepare specific decisions on this issue by April 30 this year.

I would like to note that there is already practical experience in managing unmanned aircraft in specific regions of the Russian Federation. In particular, domestic technological solutions were tested last year on Sakhalin, and this was also discussed in great detail at the site of the Archipelago design and educational program. These developments should be extended to other regions of the Russian Federation.

In this regard, I consider it appropriate to annually assess which regions of the Russian Federation create the best conditions for the development and use of unmanned systems. I ask participants of the National Technology Initiative to develop and implement the corresponding rating. This is an important area, and we need our colleagues in the regions to treat it accordingly.

The third. I will repeat once again: the work on opening the airspace to civilian drones should be carried out in compliance with, as I have already said, strict safety requirements, but not through widespread bans and total bureaucratic regulation, but through new technological solutions. They are possible. In particular, it is important to actively implement existing domestic developments that will ensure reliable quality control. We are talking about systems for detecting and tracking drones, and their end-to-end identification in real time. We have just discussed this, too. I hope that our speeches at this meeting will also provide additional information about this issue.

In general, it is necessary to quickly introduce fundamentally new mechanisms for managing and coordinating flights of all types of aircraft-from small copters to long-haul aircraft and spacecraft. I agree with what has just been said, and of course the future lies with it. This is not an easy, but absolutely solvable task. You just need to do this purposefully. In other words, we are talking about building a so-called seamless architecture of air and space, where all objects are connected and interact safely and effectively with each other.

Recently, Yuri Ivanovich [Borisov] and I also talked about this, met with the head of Roscosmos. And in principle, he also adheres to the same point of view. Therefore, there will be no resistance here, you just need to come to an agreement.

To do this, of course, you need to build a ground infrastructure and, most importantly, create satellite groupings. A detailed, step-by-step plan for this work should be defined by June 1 of this year. I ask my colleagues from the Government and Roscosmos to remove all interagency contradictions and determine the necessary parameters for such groupings. And I repeat, we need to do this as soon as possible.

Which I think is fundamentally important. In order to develop, test, and apply various types of drones, and use advanced flight control and navigation tools in the airspace, as I have already noted, we need a qualitatively new regulatory framework. It is necessary to move towards its formation consistently, using experimental legal regimes. Their mechanisms and capabilities need to be expanded, including, as I have already said, here in the Samara Region, where we are today.

Of course, when forming a new regulatory framework in the field of unmanned aircraft, it is important to maintain a balance between the interests of the industry and ensuring the country's security and defense capability. But I repeat, we must find solutions and move forward, regardless of any difficulties. Because if we do not do this, we will fall behind, and there will be even more difficulties.

So, I have already instructed to expand the use of photo and video materials obtained using drones in various sectors of the economy. And here the main thing is that the so-called digital geospatial data is quickly put into commercial circulation. To do this, it was necessary to review the approaches to conducting control measures, including the introduction of new technological tools. However, it seems that there are still not so many changes in this area, if they have occurred at all. I would also like to hear the opinion of my colleagues on this issue today.

And one more key, basic theme. For the development of the unmanned aircraft systems industry, highly professional personnel are needed, their competencies and knowledge must meet the goals of technological leadership. It is in this logic that you need to adjust the work of the professional education system, make changes to existing ones and introduce new educational programs. And all decisions here must also be made immediately.

Please also tell us today how training of specialists in the field of unmanned aviation will be organized in colleges and universities starting from the new academic year. What I saw here, of course, deserves every approval, and I can only thank you for a good example of work in this area.

As I have repeatedly noted, we need to build a close relationship between all national technology leadership projects. I would like to add that the same coordination is necessary in the implementation of work in the civil and special spheres. Thus, it is possible to get the maximum effect in all areas, in general, to strengthen the economic, industrial and scientific potential, defense capability and security of the country.

So, as for unmanned aircraft, its development already requires promising developments in the field of microelectronics, energy storage and storage, new materials and, of course, artificial intelligence systems. Moreover, the ability to operate independently without human intervention will further determine the competitiveness of domestic drones, in general, the entire economy and architecture of this industry. Here we have certain achievements, even achievements as I have heard again today, which is very encouraging.

I repeat, one of our main tasks is to have our own, sovereign solutions for all the main components of drones. I ask the Government to make exhaustive decisions on this issue, including determining the time frame, as well as the funding needed to launch mass production of high-power and high-capacity energy storage devices. This is also one of the most important issues for the development of the industry.

Further. At the last meeting in the Moscow industrial and technological park Rudnevo, we discussed in detail the long-term order from the state and business as a key incentive for the formation of the unmanned aviation industry. So far, important, but still targeted measures have been taken here.

Meanwhile, the formation of an order, and first of all from the state, must be approached in a comprehensive manner. I ask the Government to calculate all the current and prospective needs of federal agencies, regions, companies, and entire sectors of the economy, both in terms of the number and types, characteristics of drones, and their ability to perform both special and civilian tasks, including in fundamentally new sectors. Here it is important to look at the future and consider different scenarios.

Let me repeat once again, the updated plan for a long-term order should be formed on a systematic basis, and its implementation should be coordinated while observing the mandatory condition: not only large, but also medium and small technology companies that produce drones and their components should participate in purchases and deliver their products to consumers. There should be no monopoly here.

Another powerful incentive for the development of the domestic drone industry, of course, should be the development of exports. I ask the Government to persistently and competently support the ambitions of the domestic technology business when entering global markets.

Here we need to actively use our opportunities in bilateral relations with friendly countries, as well as contacts within the framework of integration and international associations. Among other things, we are talking about creating platforms for interaction between industry participants within the BRICS, launching joint technologically complex and complex projects.

As a follow-up to this task, I ask the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Moscow Government (Sergey Semenovich [Sobyanin] is working very actively in this direction), and the participants of the National Technology Initiative to organize an international forum on unmanned systems this year. I propose to invite scientists, developers, and entrepreneurs from other countries to discuss in detail the issues of cooperation in these promising and developing industries.

Our plans to accelerate the development of unmanned aircraft require a major improvement in the coordination and management of this industry, both at the federal and regional levels. I ask the Government to organize strict monitoring of the indicators of the national project for the development of unmanned aircraft systems and in general in all areas related to the formation of this new industry.

Such work should be carried out constantly, literally in real time, in order to respond to emerging problems in a timely manner. They need to be resolved as quickly as possible, in close coordination between ministries, departments, state-owned companies, private businesses, and regions.

And most importantly, I ask the Government to submit proposals for an optimal, flexible and operational management system for the development of the unmanned aircraft industry. I would like to emphasize once again that such decisions should be made as soon as possible.

Deputy Prime Minister for Transport Vitaly Gennadievich [Savelyev] will now tell us how this will be done. [My Emphasis]

This is the closest to a “crash project” I’ve seen outside increasing industrial support for the SMO which also included ramping up drone production. The overall scope of this project is huge—from ground to space. Unmanned aircraft likely include satellites similar to Musk’s Starlink. In 2023 during discussions about Arctic development, the use of such craft for logistical purposes was discussed, and one can visualize how they can be employed by agribusiness. They could be made large enough to become water tanker firefighters. I’ve already seen several designs for air-taxis. And since many of these craft are electric, battery power becomes very important. The only other nation I’ve noted that’s designing regulations for the low altitude region is China, what China calls the Low Altitude Economy.

I see this technological-economic area to be but one of several that will exist between Russia and China that will benefit both. China has the head start, while Russians may be slow to saddle but fast to ride.

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