Kremniy El
Russian military microelectronics plant in Bryansk; struck by Storm Shadow in March.
Last refreshed: 1 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
With Kremniy El struck, can Russia sustain Iskander missile production under Western chip sanctions?
Timeline for Kremniy El
Mentioned in: FP-5 Flamingo hits Samara arms factory
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Mentioned in: Drones hit S-400 depot in Sevastopol
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Mentioned in: Tikhoretsk oil station struck twice
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Mentioned in: Ukraine hits 20 Russian air defences
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Mentioned in: Storm Shadow hits Bryansk chip factory
Russia-Ukraine War 2026What is Kremniy El and what does it produce?
Was Kremniy El attacked by Ukraine?
Why is Kremniy El important to Russia's war effort?
Background
Kremniy El is one of Russia's largest military microelectronics manufacturers, located in Bryansk, producing semiconductor components for Iskander missile guidance systems and Pantsir air defence systems. Ukrainian forces struck the plant on 10 March with Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles in a precision strike that significantly damaged production facilities; Zelenskyy confirmed the hit. Six people were killed and 42 wounded in Bryansk across seven Storm Shadow impacts.
The facility holds particular strategic value because Russia's ability to produce precision munitions depends on a small number of domestic chip fabricators. Western sanctions and export controls imposed since 2022 severed most of Russia's access to Western microelectronics; Kremniy El represents one of the few remaining domestic alternatives. Satellite imagery in weeks following the strike indicated significant structural damage to production buildings, though Russia's redundant fabrication capacity — if any exists — has not been publicly confirmed.
The targeting of Kremniy El is part of Ukraine's broader campaign against Russian military-industrial infrastructure that also hit Baltic oil export terminals, munitions factories, and drone production facilities in March 2026. Disrupting microelectronics production creates compounding effects: reduced Iskander output affects precision strike capability, while reduced Pantsir production degrades Russia's point air defence.