Why Kremniy EL plant, located 110 kilometers from Ukraine's border, is important to Russia

Defense Express shared its analysis of the plant’s role in Russia’s military complex.

Although it's unlikely that a single “kamikaze” drone attack could completely disable such a facility, Kremniy EL is situated just 110 km from the Ukrainian border, making it reachable by long-range weapons produced in Ukraine.

Kremniy EL is Russia's second-largest microelectronics manufacturer, with around 90% of its production dedicated to military products. While it doesn't produce complete microchips, it specializes in discrete components like transistors, diodes, and simple modules that are crucial for military chip production in Russia.

The Russian government has heavily invested in the company, providing substantial financial support since 2010, amounting to around USD 5.5 million annually. By 2014, the company had increased its output eightfold since 2000 and was a leader in the production of integrated circuits and transistors.

The company's importance to the Russian military-industrial complex is evident from these investments, with a focus on import substitution. As of 2019, Kremniy EL had received over USD 160 million for this purpose.

Kremniy EL has also participated in strategic research and development projects such as Agrophone, Agronomy, and Silovik-5, which are part of the Russian federal program Alternativa. 

These projects aim to develop new radar systems with active fractionated arrays using advanced microelectronics for air defense, aircraft, and naval applications.

Given its significance to Russia and its proximity to Ukraine, the successful “kamikaze” drone attack on Kremniy EL highlights potential vulnerabilities in Russian air defense in the region, making it an attractive target for further attacks.