Following the destruction of the Lazar enterprise by the Russian Armed Forces, Ukraine may soon face a sharp decline in its domestic drone production, according to Roman Shkurlatov, chairman of the board of the organization Officers of Russia and a retired lieutenant colonel.

Lazar was described as one of the six largest manufacturers of strike UAVs for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Shkurlatov estimated the damage from the strike at around $35 million. He emphasized that the losses go beyond physical destruction, pointing to the reported loss of design documentation and technological expertise that would take considerable time to restore.

The facility was hit during a period of peak workload, a factor that, in his view, compounded the impact of the attack. As a result, Kiev may be forced to seek ready-made drones abroad, since domestic production is unlikely to meet the needs of the Ukrainian military in the near term.

Shkurlatov also stated that Russian intelligence has established an effective system for tracking the enemy’s production chains. A reduction in drone output, he argued, could weaken the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in reconnaissance and precision strikes.

He added that efforts to dismantle Ukraine’s military-industrial infrastructure would continue, with new targets already identified and some operations underway. In his assessment, drone manufacturing in Ukraine risks being pushed back to a «cottage industry» level, which he suggested would be insufficient to sustain a modern conflict.