Analysts from the Center of Industry Expertise at Rosselkhozbank reported at the All-Russian Field Day that the area of fields processed by agrdrones in Russia will increase by a third in 2026 compared to 2025, exceeding 1 million hectares. In 2025, the figure was 781 thousand hectares, and in 2026, it is expected to reach 1,058 thousand hectares. The Russian market for agrdrones has exceeded 17.5 billion rubles, and its growth potential over the next four years is estimated at at least 7 billion rubles. The number of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) used may increase fivefold by 2030, from 2,000 to 10,000 units.
According to Rosselkhozbank's forecasts, the increase in gross grain and oilseed harvest due to the use of agrdrones may grow from 300,000 tons in 2026 to 2 million tons by 2030. Oleg Knyazkov, Deputy Head of the Center of Industry Expertise at Rosselkhozbank, noted that ground-based unmanned systems can increase harvest productivity by up to 20%, while airborne systems for field monitoring can reduce costs by up to 40% compared to traditional methods. The top five regions for the use of unmanned systems in the 2026 sowing campaign are Samara Region, Primorsky Krai, Republic of Tatarstan, Altai Krai, and Lipetsk Region. The data is based on a study by Wheelies, which found that 20% of surveyed agroholdings and equipment suppliers do not plan to use UAS, one-third are already piloting such systems, and 15% are actively using them.