Russia has managed to increase production of Iskander missiles despite international sanctions. According to an investigation by Kyiv Independent, Russian factories produced more than 700 such missiles in 2024 — three times more than last year.
Supplies of critical equipment from China, Taiwan and Belarus played a key role in this.
The equipment was supplied to Russia through a network of intermediaries, including the Russian private companies Ural Machine Tool Company and Kaurus Alliance. In particular, they imported numerically controlled metal-cutting machine tools necessary for the production of missile components.
The main contractor for the expansion programme was the Votkinsk Plant, which received new equipment in 2023, built two additional workshops and hired more than 2,500 employees.
The expansion of production coincided with an intensification of strikes on Ukraine. In 2024, Russia launched 245 Iskander missiles at Ukraine, 4.5 times more than last year. Already this year, at least 180 such attacks have been recorded.