The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, has announced the relocation of its production facilities from Khimki, near Moscow, to Omsk in Siberia and Perm in the Ural Mountains. This move is part of a broader strategy to address rising operational costs and security concerns stemming from intensified Ukrainian military actions.
According to Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center will shift its operations to Omsk, while rocket engine manufacturing currently based in Khimki will be transferred to Perm. Rogozin cited excessive overhead costs in Khimki as a primary reason for the move.
Despite presenting itself as a civilian agency, Roscosmos has significant ties to the military sector, particularly in the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles, including the RS-28 Sarmat, which some Russian media have dubbed the “most lethal weapon in the world.” However, the missile has faced multiple failed test launches, raising questions about its reliability.
The relocation appears to be a response to increasing Ukrainian long-range strikes. In March, Sergei Shoigu, the former defense minister and current secretary of the Russian Security Council, warned that no region in Russia could feel secure from Ukrainian attacks, which could reach as far as the Ural Mountains. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the challenges of protecting all critical infrastructure from drone strikes.
Earlier this year, Roscosmos had already moved the development of its Angara rocket from the Khrunichev center in Moscow to its branch in Omsk. In recent weeks, Ukraine has conducted several strikes against Russian export terminals in the Baltic Sea, including Primorsk and Ust-Luga, disrupting operations and targeting one of the largest explosives manufacturing plants in Chapayevsk.
Ukrainian forces also targeted the Bashneft-Novoil oil refinery in Ufa, which processes 7.3 million tons of oil annually, located approximately 1,400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that while allies have urged him to limit attacks on Russian energy facilities due to a global fuel crisis exacerbated by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, he would not halt strikes as long as Russia continues its assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Zelensky remarked, “If Russia is willing to stop attacking Ukraine’s energy sector, then we will reciprocate.” The recent offensive by Ukrainian forces has been characterized as a systematic effort to dismantle Russia’s military and oil infrastructure. On March 31, drones struck the Ust-Luga port for the fifth time in a week, hitting an oil terminal.
According to Reuters, due to drone strikes, pipeline damage, and the seizure of tankers, Russia has temporarily lost at least 40% of its export capacity. Additional attacks have targeted key facilities, including the Yaroslavl Oil Refinery, which produces diesel and aviation fuel critical for the logistics of the Russian military, and the Kirishi Oil Refinery in the Leningrad region, which suffered a major fire following a strike.
Roscosmos is relocating production facilities to Siberia and the Urals, citing high costs and increased security threats from Ukrainian strikes. This move reflects ongoing military tensions and the impact of recent Ukrainian offensives on Russian infrastructure.