Iskander Missiles for Russia's Army from KBM Kolomna: Who Runs the Factory and What About Sanctions?

Published: 28.02.2025

KBM Kolomna is one of Russia's key missile system manufacturers. As part of the state-owned corporation Rostec, the enterprise receives government contracts and modernizes its production facilities. In 2022, at the Army-2022 forum, the company showcased its latest developments and, just a month later, signed agreements to supply Iskander-M missiles to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

This article explores how KBM operates, identifies the locations of its production facilities and testing sites, and reveals which of its developments the Russian army uses in the war against Ukraine.

KBM Kolomna: Expanding Production and Military Contracts After the Army-2022 Forum

In August 2022, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine had already begun, the Russian Ministry of Defense organized another military-technical forum, Army-2022. While the event featured a fake robot that turned out to be a toy from AliExpress, Russia also unveiled the Kh-69 missile, which was later used to attack Ukraine — including the destruction of the Trypillia Thermal Power Plant.

Representatives from the Smolensk Aviation Plant (previously covered in this article) and delegates from several Chinese and Iranian companies attended the forum. KBM Kolomna (the Design Bureau of Machine-Building) was among the exhibitors, and the event was highly successful for them. Russia's Ministry of Defense ordered Iskander-M missiles from Kolomna that same month. The scale of the contract was likely substantial, as reports indicated that KBM planned to expand its workforce, with new employees expected to work in two or even three shifts. Shortly afterward, Russian Ex-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the plant.

Meanwhile, KBM continued its modernization efforts. Between 2017 and 2022, the company upgraded the testing site, renovated buildings, and constructed new warehouses and production facilities, particularly for manufacturing cable products. Although officials claimed to have completed the work, satellite images from December 2022 show no visible new structures. KBM follows a long-term (1, 2) reconstruction and equipment replacement plan scheduled for 2019–2027.

We will provide a detailed breakdown of the production sites, testing grounds, and various workshops later.

Structure, Production, and Key Developments of KBM Kolomna

The Design Bureau of Machine-Building (official Russian name: Order of Lenin and Order of the Red Banner of Labor JSC "Scientific and Production Corporation KB Mashinostroyeniya" (KBM)) is a major scientific and industrial enterprise based in Kolomna, Moscow Oblast, Russia. Founded in 1942as a 

KBM is one of the key developers in four significant areas of Russia's military-industrial complex:

KBM conducts UAV testing on its premises, with a dedicated test stand built at the proving ground in 2020.

The Russian state corporation Rostec controls the High-Precision Systems holding, which includes KBM. The company developed the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system, which the Russian army actively uses and exports to various countries. The following nations have received confirmed deliveries:

• Algeria

It likely operates four regiments of Iskander-E missile systems (a total of 48 launchers). At the Dubai Airshow 2017, officials from Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation confirmed that Iskander-E had been delivered to a country in the Middle East and North Africa, widely believed to be Algeria.

• Armenia

Estimated to possess around 25 units of the system, acquired through cooperation within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). In 2017, several Iskanders were spotted during Armenia’s Independence Day parade. The Armenian Defense Minister officially confirmed that Armenia owns these systems.

• Belarus

In May 2022, Belarusian self-proclaimed president Alexander Lukashenko announced the purchase of Iskander missile systems. Russia also pledged to supply Belarus with Iskanders capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

The company also recruits students for engineering training programs. Each year, 28–29 students undergo internships at the plant, receiving a stipend and, eventually, a permanent job.

In 2016, KBM established a subsidiary, LLC Kolang, for agricultural machinery manufacturing and resale. However, the company’s website claims it was founded in 1995.

KBM consists of several key facilities:

• Design division
• Testing site (near the village of Shchukovo)
• Assembly and finishing production (two buildings)

The testing site includes restricted-access lakes, which locals visit through private arrangements. Some sections of the perimeter fence are missing (coordinates), and photos from the site confirm this.

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KBM Kolomna Leadership: Who's in Charge?

Valery Mikhailovich Kashin (Russian — Кашин Валерий Михайлович) – General Designer of KBM Kolomna.

General Director of "NPO High-Precision Systems" and Chief Designer of KBM.

Valery Mikhailovich Kashin (рос. — Кашин Валерий Михайлович) is sanctioned only by the United States; there are no other known personal sanctions.

• Born: September 14, 1947
• General Director of NPO "Высокоточные комплексы" (since 2022)
• Chief Designer of KBM (since 2015)
• Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN), Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering (since 2022)
• Corresponding Member of RAN (since 2016)

Career:

• 1974 — After completing postgraduate studies at Bauman Moscow State Technical University, I joined KBM as an engineer in the advanced development department.
• 1981 – Head of a laboratory developing an active protection system for intercontinental ballistic missiles (Project 71).
• 2005–2015 – Served as Director of KBM.
• Since 2015, I have simultaneously held positions as Deputy Director of NPO "High-Precision Systems" and Chief Designer of KBM.

Since 2016 – Head of the SM-6 Department "Missile and Impulse Systems".

Sergey Viktorovich Pitikov (Russian — Питиков Сергей Викторович) – General Director of KBM Kolomna.

Ukraine's NSDCdid not impose sanctions on Sergey Pitikov. His daughter, Maya Lind (she changed her surname), reportedly resides in Sweden.

• General Director of KBM (since 2022).
• General Director of KBM (until 2022).
• Awarded a certificate for achievements in the defense sector by decree of Russian President Putin (February 2021).

Residence and property:

• Residence: Kolomna, Filina St., b.2, apt. 9.

Vehicles:

• Opel Insignia Wagon, 2012.
• Audi A6 Allroad Quattro, 2015.

Wife: Larisa Alexandrovna Pitikova (b. 27.12.1959).

• Social media: Instagram.
• She registered a soleproprietorship in Kolomna (2014–2019), dealing with water purification and construction.
• Tax debts: Listed in the bailiffs' database for tax non-payment (2019).
• Registered address: Kolomna, Oktyabrskoy Revolutsii St., 372, apt. 7.
• Contacts:
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Phone: +7 (905) 711-63-78
  • TIN: 502208215193

The daughter, Maya Lind, resides in Sweden.

On February 24, 2022, she posted on Facebook:

"FEAR AND SHAME.. that's how it feels to wake up into a world without democracy and Human Rights."

• Social media: Facebook, Instagram1, Instagram2.

Granddaughter: Liza Pitikova (b. 10.09.2005).

Social media: Facebook, Facebook 2), Instagram

Son-in-law: Joakim Lind. Swedish citizen.

Social media: Facebook

Other Directors of the Enterprise

Full List of KBM Leadership in 2021:

Locations of KBM Kolomna's Factories, Warehouses, and Testing Grounds

The Design Bureau of Machine-Building (KBM) Kolomna is located in the city of Kolomna, Moscow Oblast, Russia. Its headquarters is at Oksky Prospekt, Building 42. Additionally, the enterprise includes several production facilities and auxiliary structures situated nearby.

It is likely (1, 2, 3) that the plant's premises contain underground production facilities or an exhibition complex for museum exhibits.

Another location — Oksky Prospekt, Litera 1T, 40, Kolomna, Moscow Oblast — houses Warehouse No. 51, with coordinates: 55.06886536543126, 38.799627427626405.

Below, we provide a detailed breakdown of KBM Kolomna’s various buildings and facilities, including their types, locations, and functions.

Approximately 6 km away, another facility is located—the testing ground in the settlement of Shchukovo, Akatyevo, covering an area of 3,580 hectares.

Coordinates: 55.03780804367893, 38.82094027439596.

This testing ground is also used for firearms testing from other manufacturers and serves as the base for military unit 88612 (236th Artillery Brigade).

In 2017, this is how the production equipment at Facility No. 6 appeared.

The testing ground includes:

• Video surveillance, a barrier gate, and anti-ram fencing
• Production of serial “advanced products”

Branches, Affiliates, and Ties to Russia’s Military-Industrial Complex

KBM Kolomna operates a branch in Tula at 127A Epifanskaya Street. This three-story building covers 1,203.5 sq.m. (sections A1, A2). Officials obtained floor plans for the first and second floors. The facility primarily supports research and design activities, lacking production capabilities. In October 2016, KBM renovated the building, and in 2017, the company prepaid rent for 33 additional months, securing occupancy until the end of 2020. A kindergarten (No. 25) stands in the neighboring building at 127 Epifanskaya Street.

Another KBM branch is in Znamensk, Astrakhan Oblast, at 20 Soviet Army Street. This facility is in a residential area and was listed for renovation in 2014. It is designated as a laboratory-production building with inventory number 100279.

The third branch is KBM’s Moscow Representative Office, which is believed to rent office space in a business center at 176 Prospekt Mira. The identical building houses Shvabe, a company specializing in optical-electronic equipment for civilian and military applications, including medical technology. Shvabe is a subsidiary of Rostec, which suggests potential ties between the two organizations.

A fourth location potentially linked to KBM's operations is also in Moscow, at 5 Soviet Army Street, Building 6. This site houses the Central Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics (TsNIIAG), part of the High-Precision Systems holding, a subsidiary of Rostec. This institute specializes in developing hydraulic systems for missile launchers, likely including Iskander systems and other military projects.

Explosion and Fire in 2023

In February 2023, an explosion occurred on the factory grounds, followed by a fire.

Russian media reported that the blaze might have started in a "railway train repair depot" at Omsky Prospekt 66. According to their version, the fire broke out in a hangar belonging to "Tekhnologiya 21 Vek," a company specializing in diesel engine maintenance. Photos and videos from the scene confirm that this hangar was engulfed in flames.

Ukrainian media also reported on the explosion and fire at the factory. Testimonies from local residents, who claimed they heard a whistling sound before the explosion, were published.

The "Tekhnologiya 21 Vek" hangar is located at Omsky Prospekt 66. Based on available images and videos, this facility caught fire.

KBM Kolomna actively expands its production and secures state military contracts. At the Army-2022 forum, the company strengthened its cooperation with Russia's Ministry of Defense, signing agreements to supply Iskander-M missiles. KBM also maintains direct ties with the Russian state corporation Rostec.

Beyond its main production complex in Kolomna, KBM operates branches in multiple Russian cities — Tula, Znamensk, and Moscow. Product testing is conducted at the Shchukovo proving ground.

KBM's KBM'srship plays an active role in Russia's defense sector, but not all its officials face international or Ukrainian sanctions. Some executives maintain family ties abroad, potentially posing a risk to the global community.