A drone production project has been launched at a penal colony near Kazakhstan’s capital, located in the settlement of Arshaly.

To support the initiative, an aircraft hangar was renovated on the colony’s premises and equipped with the necessary production facilities, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

The site houses inmates convicted of serious and especially serious crimes, including repeat offenders.

According to the Kazakh Interior Ministry, there are around 23,000 able-bodied inmates across Kazakhstan’s correctional facilities. More than 18,000 of them are currently employed, with prison labor programs aimed at vocational training and reintegration.

The launch of drone manufacturing is seen as part of broader efforts to expand industrial production and employment opportunities within the penitentiary system of Kazakhstan.