Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone uses video game ‘Drone Battle: Ukraine’ and cyber tournaments to recruit students for drone assembly

Source: T-invariant

Since spring 2026, the video game Drone Battle: Ukraine has been heavily promoted on social media and by bloggers. According to T-invariant, the management of the Alabuga Special Economic Zone uses the game to recruit students to assemble drones.

The game is a tactical simulator in which players command a unit of unmanned forces. Its patent was registered by Timur Shagivaleyev, the CEO of the Alabuga SEZ. Drone Battle: Ukraine is available in Russian, English, and Chinese.

Alabuga’s management uses the game to recruit students through a project called “Stalin’s Falcons,” journalists report. The project’s website lists job openings for engineers, pilots of “Geraniums” — the name used in the Russian military for drones assembled on the basis of Iranian Shaheds — and unit commanders.

In late April, a drone piloting tournament organized by “Stalin’s Falcons” was held at the Higher School of Economics. To participate, applicants had to clear a preliminary selection round in Drone Battle: Ukraine and win a real-time solo match playing as Russia.

The game has also become a central component of the “Dronkon” cyber tournaments, which offer prizes in the millions and are held in Tatarstan with the support of the Alabuga SEZ and “Stalin’s Falcons.” Participants in those tournaments are likewise required to complete training in the Drone Battle simulation.

Since 2023, drones based on Iranian Shaheds have been assembled at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan and used in attacks on Ukrainian cities. The SEZ includes the Alabuga Polytech college, which recruits students to assemble drones. In spring 2026, the Alabuga SEZ and Alabuga Polytech launched an advertising campaign featuring teenagers describing how they earn money assembling drones.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at reports@meduza.io.

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Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone uses video game ‘Drone Battle: Ukraine’ and cyber tournaments to recruit students for drone assembly

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Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone uses video game ‘Drone Battle: Ukraine’ and cyber tournaments to recruit students for drone assembly

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