Siberian Plant Set to Boost RDX Production Amid Military Needs – Reuters

A facility for explosives located in Siberia is set to undergo a significant expansion aimed at the production of the powerful explosive RDX, as reported by Reuters on Thursday, referencing procurement records and insiders familiar with the initiative.

The Biysk Oleum Plant (BOZ) is reportedly establishing a new production line with a budget of 15.5 billion rubles (approximately $189 million). The initial timeline for its completion was announced for late 2025, although one insider indicated to Reuters that this schedule seems «unrealistic» and has already been postponed.

Denis Manturov, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister, who inspected the site in August 2023 while he was the minister of industry and trade, mentioned a comparable figure of 15 billion rubles for the plant’s «overall reorganization.» In addition, Sergei Shoigu, the Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, has also reportedly discussed construction delays in a meeting with the plant’s director earlier this year.

Situated about 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) east of Moscow, BOZ is beyond the range of Ukrainian drone strikes, which have increasingly targeted Russia’s military-industrial complex since the onset of the large-scale invasion.

The facility is owned by the Ya.M. Sverdlov plant, which is under sanctions from the European Union as the “sole Russian manufacturer” of the high-powered explosives RDX and HMX.

RDX serves as a critical ingredient in the production of artillery shells, mortar shells, missiles, and aerial bombs. Experts highlight its stability and efficiency, noting it is less likely to detonate accidentally. A hard, white crystalline material that saw widespread use during World War II, RDX is also utilized in blasting caps for civilian use.

According to Reuters, the new facility could generate 6,000 metric tons of RDX each year—sufficient to fill about 1.28 million 152mm artillery rounds.

Military intelligence from Ukraine has estimated that Russia produced roughly 2 million artillery shells of 122mm and 152mm caliber last year, while importing an additional 2.7 million rounds from North Korea.

Explosives specialists informed Reuters that production at BOZ might commence within six to ten weeks following the completion of construction activities.