Russia’s war in Ukraine has increasingly become a war of drones, but artillery still plays a key role on the battlefield. Newly obtained documents from 2014 to 2025 show that Russia continues to modernize its artillery production using industrial machinery from Europe. 🧵Thread:
2/ In a joint analysis, Frontelligence Insight and the @dallasparkua company reviewed hundreds of internal documents from Russian defense contractor Zenit-Investprom and found that Plant No. 9, a maker of artillery barrels and tank guns, went through major upgrades in 2025
3/ Six facilities within the Uralmash industrial zone were found to be undergoing modernization, including planned delivery of industrial machinery from several European countries. Several workshops were dedicated to work on the Armata project and the Koalitsiya SPG.
4/ According to floor plans and procurement documents, Russia planned to deliver at least 22 large industrial machines to the modernized facilities of Plant No. 9, including gear-shaping, milling, and other modern multifunctional equipment.
5/ For clarity, this is an example of one of the ordered machines, the LC-500 gear hobbing machine by the German company Liebherr. As seen in the photo from Liebherr’s official website, this is not small electronics, like a router, that could be easily bought and repurposed
6/ Liebherr is not the only German company on the list. HERMLE AG and DMG MORI also appear, alongside the Italian companies TACCHI and PARPAS, the British firm JONES & SHIPMAN, and the Taiwanese manufacturers KAFO and Glory.
7/ This is not a one-off upgrade, but part of a decade-long effort to expand production, with the current phase accelerated by the war. In letters sent in 2014 to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Plant No. 9’s CEO requested confirmation that such equipment had to be imported
8/ It appears that 11 years later, Russia has been unable to make a proper import-substitution, meaning that even in 2025 it planed its modernization around large industrial machinery made in Europe. Yet Russia remains confident in its ability to procure this equipment.
9/ Thank you for reading. Our full report, with far more detail, is available at the link below:
frontelligence.substack.com/p/behind-the-g…
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