YELABUGA, Tatarstan, Russia, June 28, 2026 — The underground resistance movement Black Spark (Chernaya Iskra) has claimed that its members infiltrated Russia's Alabuga Special Economic Zone, where Geran-series kamikaze drones are produced, and carried out an operation involving both the extraction of sensitive data and sabotage of the drone assembly process.
In a statement published on its X (formerly Twitter) account, the group said its operatives secured employment at the Alabuga drone production facility and worked undercover for several months before gaining access to the plant's internal computer systems.
According to Black Spark, its members downloaded databases containing the identities and personal information of personnel involved in the production and assembly of the Geran-2 and Geran-3 unmanned aerial vehicles. The Geran-series drones are Russian-produced versions of the Iranian-designed Shahed loitering munitions that have been widely used during the conflict in Ukraine.
The group also claimed that its operatives introduced undisclosed modifications to drones while they were being assembled. Describing the alterations as hidden "surprises," Black Spark stated that the modifications are intended to cause problems when operators attempt to launch the drones. The resistance movement said the objective of the operation is to disrupt drone deployments and reduce the number of military personnel involved in launching Geran drones against Ukrainian cities.
The Alabuga Special Economic Zone, located near the city of Yelabuga in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan, has become one of the country's primary centers for manufacturing Geran-series drones. Production at the facility has expanded significantly in recent years as Russia increased domestic assembly of long-range one-way attack drones using components sourced from multiple suppliers. The facility plays an important role in supporting Russia's growing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production capacity.
Black Spark describes itself as an underground resistance movement conducting sabotage operations inside Russia. Information regarding the group's leadership, membership, and organizational structure has not been made public, with the movement stating that confidentiality is necessary to protect its operatives.
The group operates in coordination with Ukraine's military intelligence and Special Operations Forces (SOF). The Command of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces officially acknowledged cooperation with Black Spark representatives in 2025. Since then, the movement has been associated with several operations targeting military and industrial infrastructure inside Russia.
Most recently, Black Spark stated that it coordinated with Ukrainian deep strike units during operations conducted on the night of June 23–24, 2026, targeting the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant and the Orenburg Helium Plant. Both facilities are considered important industrial sites that process materials used by Russia's military and aerospace sectors.
The reported infiltration of the Alabuga facility represents one of the most significant claims made by the resistance movement regarding Russia's drone production network. However, the details of the operation have not been independently verified.
As of June 28, Russian authorities had not issued an official response to the group's claims regarding the alleged infiltration, data extraction, or sabotage at the Alabuga drone production facility.
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