Russia’s military-industrial complex (MIC) is a vast and interconnected system of manufacturers, logistics hubs, and suppliers. To map this structure, KSE Institute conducted a clustering analysis of over 6,000 MIC entities and 3,300 transport nodes, revealing how cargo flows—often obscured by intermediaries—connect to specific companies and regions.

The study identified 692 geographic clusters, with the top 113 accounting for 82% of cargo flows and 92% of procurement contracts. This thematic report analyzes Russia’s military-industrial clusters across sectoral, legal, geospatial, and product dimensions, and is part of KSE Institute’s broader research on the Russian military-industrial complex.

Sectoral Clusters in Russia’s MIC. Clusters in Russia’s MIC integrate manufacturing, logistics, research, and raw material supply into cohesive ecosystems. Aviation production is anchored in clusters like Voronezh, Lukhovitsy, and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, combining factories, component suppliers, and research centers. Weapons manufacturing is centered in hubs such as Chelyabinsk, Nizhny Tagil, and Rubtsovsk, supported by raw material suppliers and logistics providers. Key logistics clusters include Yekaterinburg and the Moscow region, while explosives production is concentrated in Biysk, Kazan, and Dzerzhinsk. Research institutions are embedded within many clusters, strengthening the link between R&D and defense production. Many clusters also incorporate army units, likely for staffing and testing purposes. This interconnected structure reflects soviet legacy supply chains of Russia’s military and aerospace sectors.

Product Clusters in Russia’s MIC. Product-level analysis enhances cluster research, revealing how Russia’s military industry integrates research, manufacturing, and component production to support battlefield capabilities. A database of 264 entities across 26 product groups—from missiles and tanks to electronics and UAVs—shows which clusters are key to delivering specific weapons and systems. Missile production is particularly widespread, spanning 33 companies across 16 clusters. Key hubs include Votkinsk, Akhtubinsk, Kolomna, Serpukhov, Severomorsk, and Zlatoust, where critical technologies such as ballistic missiles, satellite launch systems, and naval weapons are developed. Each cluster combines a distinct mix of research, production, and military infrastructure, enabling development of both strategic and tactical weapons.

Logistics Flows in Russia’s MIC. Cargo flow analysis reveals how raw materials and military goods move across Russia’s defense supply chain, even in the absence of transparent economic data. For instance, key tank production clusters—Rubtsovsk, Volchansk, and Omsk—receive critical steel inputs from Magnitogorsk and Cherepovets, while some flows, such as those from Arseniev to Omsk, may involve Chinese imports. Finished military goods are transported to frontline-adjacent areas like Kamensk-Shakhtinsky and Gukovo, with outbound shipments from Omsk rising tenfold in 2023. Cargo flows can be analyzed not only by mapping origin and destination clusters, but also by tracking specific types of products. For example, explosives flows demonstrate emerging patterns: new routes to border clusters like Taganrog and Kirzhach suggest increasing logistical support for combat operations, while rising shipments from Nakhodka may indicate greater reliance on imports from China and North Korea. The evolving structure of inbound and outbound shipments highlights Russia’s MIC wartime priorities and dependencies.

This analysis is part of KSE Institute’s broader research on Russia’s military-industrial complex. More details are available in the full report: https://t.ly/dl_D3