CNN reported the information.The images reveal dozens of new buildings. According to experts, these include new dormitories and production facilities.What do analysts say?David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector who heads the American think tank Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), has been monitoring the expansion of Alabuga since 2022. According to him, the decision to expand Alabuga indicates that the Russian government is committed to increasing production volumes and signing long-term contracts, which means they are ready to "buy everything that is produced" at the plant.How has the facility grown?The plant began producing Shaheds in 2023, and now also manufactures cheaper versions designed to be used as decoys (known as Gerbera).From late 2024 to mid-July this year, satellite images show at least eight new warehouse buildings next to structures previously identified as Shahed production facilities. Some of these are still under construction.Analysis of the images revealed a significant expansion of worker housing at the site. An image from July 12 shows at least 104 identical rectangular buildings, either fully or partially constructed, with an area similar to existing structures known as worker dormitories. In images taken in February, there were only 15 such buildings. Construction on the new buildings appears to have ramped up in March, with the arrival of spring and the melting of snow.There are also signs that construction has accelerated in recent weeks. More than half of the residential buildings visible in the July 12 image had not yet been built as of June 9.The company Stroytrest Alabuga, responsible for construction at the site, removed from its website in mid-July a section with plans for a large residential complex called Europa hostels. However, an internal presentation document dated July 4 appears to show the implementation of the second phase of construction. CNN geolocated drone images included in the presentation and confirmed they were taken at Alabuga.Albright’s team at the American think tank ISIS estimated that after construction is completed, the buildings will be able to accommodate up to 40,000 workers, which, according to him, would mean "a significant increase in drone production."What is known about production volumes at the plant?Current production volumes at the Alabuga plant remain strictly classified. In December, CNN reported that the facility had produced more than 5,700 "Shaheds" between January and September 2024, which is twice the total number of drones produced in all of 2023.The Russian program Alabuga Start, which allegedly offers vocational training to young women from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, is in fact using them to manufacture drones at military plants in Tatarstan for the war against Ukraine.