Russia Preparing for a Long-Term War

According to Reuters, Russia is building a new production line for high-powered explosives at a military-industrial plant located in a remote area of Siberia. This facility could significantly boost Russia’s military capacity in Ukraine.

The plant is located at the Biysk Oleum Plant (BOZ), which belongs to Russia's state defense company — the Sverdlov Plant. The new line is planned to produce up to 6,000 tons of RDX or possibly HMX annually. This quantity could be equivalent to 1.28 million OF-29 type 152 mm artillery shells.

RDX, expected to be the primary explosive produced, is widely used in artillery shells, rockets, mortar mines, and aerial bombs.

With more power than TNT and more stability than HMX, RDX is considered ideal for military applications. Experts say that, considering the current scale of ammunition production by Russia, the new plant could play a crucial role in sustaining the operational tempo of the Russian army.

The plant is located outside the current range of Ukrainian drones, making it relatively protected from attacks, unlike the older facility in Dzerzhinsk, which has already been targeted.

According to documents that appeared in the state procurement system and were later removed, the project has been allocated 15.5 billion rubles (approximately USD 189 million). Construction began in 2023 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. Some stages were completed in the summer of 2024, indicating that the plant could become operational within 6–10 weeks.

Russia is gaining battlefield advantage in Ukraine through artillery. Increasing domestic production, especially of high-quality explosives, strengthens Russia’s ability to wage a long-term war. Meanwhile, Western countries — especially the US and Europe — are trying to increase military production to support Ukraine, but a global shortage of explosives is slowing the process.

Experts say the expansion of the BOZ plant indicates that Russia is preparing strategically for a prolonged war. This underscores the need for vigilance and continued strengthening of the military and industrial capacities of Ukraine and its allies. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!