Russian kamikaze drones such as the Shahed or Geran-2 cost practically USD 50,000.
75% confidence
DefenceRussia
Omissions
The $50,000 figure is cited by some analysts (e.g., Forbes Ukraine) but does not match the documented negotiated price between Iran and Russia, which was $193,000 per drone for a 6,000-unit contract.
Russian domestic production has reduced costs from the initial import price, but the estimated production cost in 2025 is around $70,000, still significantly higher than $50,000.
The claim does not specify whether this refers to Iranian production cost, Russian import cost, or Russian domestic production cost - each of which differs substantially.
Sources found were published before the claim date (2026-01-22), but the most recent data available at that time (2025 estimates) shows higher costs.
Sources
SecondaryThe War ZoneThe Iranians initially asked Russia to pay $375,000 per Shahed, but that figure was eventually negotiated down to $193,000 per drone for 6,000 units in 2022
SecondaryMilitarnyiProduction contract including 6,000 UAVs and technology transfer valued at RUB 108.5 billion (approximately $1.2 billion), implying per-unit costs significantly above $50,000
SecondaryDefence ExpressIran sold Shahed-136 kits to Russia at $193-370K in 2022; Russian production now $70K, making $20-50K estimates unrealistic