The Russian professional tournament Dronecon, aimed at developers and engineers working on attack drones, will take place in Yelabuga, Republic of Tatarstan. More than 120 participants have already confirmed their attendance and are expected to arrive for the competition on 21 August 2026. They are reportedly set to be accommodated at the Yuzhny Park residential complex, located at 26 Okruzhnoye Highway. Coordinates: 55.781717, 52.016264.
Slidstvo.Info journalists obtained this information on condition of anonymity from one of the tournament participants, who had passed several stages of vetting and preliminary selection and had already received tickets to the event.
According to the participant, he learned the location after completing several levels of training in the online strategy game “Battle of Drones: Ukraine” and submitting his documents to the organisers — recruiters from the “Stalin’s Falcons” community, which is organising the tournament.
“They said it’s a restricted area, but you can leave your car there. Accommodation will be in comfortable hostels within the residential complex, with around four to six people per room. They say there will be a shelter and guarantee participants’ safety. Upon arrival, we’re supposed to be issued passes. Movement is permitted only within the accommodation and competition areas. Taking photos or videos without permission is prohibited. That’s what I know from the internal chats and the ‘Regulations’ document they circulated,” said the selected Dronecon participant.
Dronecon is a Russian drone technology tournament bringing together FPV drone pilots, engineers and programmers. It is being held in Tatarstan for the second time. According to Russian media reports, more than 1,000 people took part in the 2025 tournament, which focused exclusively on FPV drones. This year, the organisers have expanded the programme and are presenting the event primarily as a means of training specialists for the military use of UAVs, including Geran drone operators. Participation in the tournament may also provide a pathway for contestants to join Russian military units specialising in drone operations.
The tournament is organised by Stalin’s Falcons, a Russian military community that combines drone technology with Soviet symbolism and cultivates the image of an “elite drone unit.”
