WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Ukraine said Neptune cruise missiles and drones struck the AOMZ factory in Russia’s Rostov Oblast overnight on Sept. 26.
  • Leaked documents connect AOMZ to at least seven missile programs, including the Kh-101, R-37M and Oreshnik.
  • Dallas Analytics said Russia has no alternative supplier for two Kh-101 components produced at the plant.
  • Records show planned production involving missile components valued at 583.6 million rubles, with 497.6 million rubles paid in advance.

A Russian factory struck by Ukraine on Sept. 26 supplies electronics used across a broad range of Moscow’s missile programs, according to leaked documents obtained by the Ukrainian private intelligence firm Dallas Analytics. The records suggest Russia could lack fallback suppliers for certain components.

The facility, Azov Optical-Mechanical Plant, known as AOMZ, is located in Russia’s western Rostov Oblast. Documents covering April 2023 through March 2025 include internal correspondence, state contract records, cooperation schedules and letters from Tactical Missiles Corporation, the state holding company that owns AOMZ.

One apparent supply schedule contains more than 70 line items and identifies 44 component suppliers. Dallas Analytics said the documents place AOMZ within the production chains of “at least seven” Russian missile programs.

Those programs include the Kh-101 cruise missile, the R-37M air-to-air missile and the Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile. Another document supplied to Defense News lists components for an air-to-air missile alongside the comment “export China 192 pieces.”

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

Records value the components scheduled for production at AOMZ during 2025 at 583.6 million rubles, or $6.9 million. Of that amount, 497.6 million rubles, or $5.9 million, had already been paid in advance.

Ukraine Opens Deadly AI Drone Training Vault to UK Companies
Image Credit: Beachside Stock

Ukraine’s Security Service said Neptune cruise missiles and drones hit the plant overnight on Sept. 26 in the southwestern Russian city of Azov. Rostov Governor Yuri Slyusar acknowledged a drone attack that damaged “industrial facilities” and residential buildings.

Russian officials have neither identified AOMZ as the target nor confirmed that the plant sustained damage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a factory producing missile components had been struck in the region.

FREE Gun Law Map: Laws Don't Pause During Social Unrest

Following recent reports that Congress is considering a nationwide voter ID requirement for federal elections, do you support requiring voters to show identification before casting a ballot?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from Objectivist.co, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

Dallas Analytics said AOMZ manufactures the Kh-101 cruise missile’s “Otblesk” navigation lidar and its flight automation block. The firm claimed that Russia has no alternative supplier for either component.

The intelligence firm noted that Russia has launched the Kh-101 in large numbers against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. Russia also has a variant carrying a nuclear warhead, designated the Kh-102.

Additional documents reviewed by Defense News appear to show the plant’s production schedule for 2026. The records provide a look at components in the production pipeline, including 36 sets of electrical and power units destined for what Dallas Analytics identified as the R-37 air-to-air missile.

The schedule also includes 41 units of an item identified as “65СНЛЭ.” Dallas Analytics said those units were intended for an export version of the Kh-38 air-to-surface missile.

Russia Raises 2027 Military Spending 27% to Ukraine War High, Documents Show
Image Credit: Beachside Stock

Another 50 of the same items were listed for production during November and December. Those units were scheduled to power a domestic version of the weapon, according to the documents.

Dallas Analytics said the supply schedule identifies TRV-Engineering, the procurement arm of Tactical Missiles Corporation, as a supplier of microcircuits for the Kh-101 navigation set. A previous investigation identified TRV-Engineering as a channel used to import foreign microelectronics.

A Tactical Missiles Corporation letter dated Mar. 4, 2025, was marked “URGENT!!!” and said the Russian Aerospace Forces wanted increased deliveries beginning in 2026, according to Dallas Analytics. The document lists 500 each of several electronic blocks and 1,000 R-37M missile housings annually.

AOMZ was given 72 hours to tell the government whether it could meet the requested quotas. The United States government sanctioned the plant in April 2022, with the European Union, Britain, Japan, Ukraine and other countries later taking similar action.

Dallas Analytics pointed to intermediaries and front companies used to procure components around the world. According to the firm, those procurement arrangements have allowed facilities such as AOMZ to continue operating despite international sanctions.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Objectivist. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.