A Russian experimental design bureau is allegedly developing a nuclear threat to Ukraine and the world

On the second day of 2024, Ukraine was attacked by Russia with missiles, including Kinzhals and Calibers. A total of 134 missiles were fired at targets in Kyiv and Kharkov. In December 2023, a representative of the Ukrainian Navy reported on Russia’s possible stockpiling of Kalibr missiles.

Back in early December 2023, Dmitry Pletenchuk, a representative of the Ukrainian Navy, told Suspilny that Russia was likely accumulating stocks of Caliber missiles.

Where “Calibers” are produced and who is personally behind it – read in the publication from investigators from Molfar.

“Calibers” is the main product of the Novator GKV

On July 14, 2022, Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from a Russian ship in the Black Sea. That shelling led to the death of 29 people in Vinnitsa. Ukrainian President Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately bombing civilian targets that had no military significance. We also did an investigation about this, which you can read here.

More than 20 people died on October 10, 2022. A massive rocket attack on the territory of Ukraine in which Russia probably used “Calibers”. But the Russians boasted about the accuracy of their weapons. According to data from open sources, most of the missiles hit civilian targets: residential buildings, kindergartens and playgrounds.

The experimental design bureau “Novator” is the main manufacturer of “Caliber” in Russia. They are the ones behind some of the missiles for Russian ships. But, in addition, they have a huge range of production.

The Kalibr family missiles (export name “Club”) are developed on the basis of the 3M-10 nuclear cruise missile and the ZM-51 anti-ship missile. TRDD-50 engines for Kalibr are produced by the Rybinsk Motor Plant - PJSC UEC-Saturn (PJSC UEC-Saturn), which in 2022 began to increase production volumes, which is why more than 500 new vacancies were opened.

According to the post of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, as of February 23, 2022, there were 500 Caliber missiles in the Russian Federation (probably, we are talking about the most popular version of the missile - 3M-14). According to a statement by a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the Russian Federation can produce 15-20 units per month, and there were 60 units in stock as of January 2023. The total maximum salvo of Kalibr family missiles totaled 96 missiles. TRDD-50 engines can also be used on the Kh-55, Kh-59 and Kh-101 missiles, as well as on the Kh-35 Uran anti-ship cruise missiles. According to the article, the development of new “Calibers” is funded until 2027.

According to Forbes, the estimated price of “Caliber” is $6.5m. And the cost of manufacturing the 3M-14 version, with its mass production, ranges from $300k to $350k, and is sold for export for $500k.

What products is the Novator State Design Bureau still working on?

In the Arkhangelsk region in 2019, in a forgotten and remote village, an explosion occurred and, as a result, a release of radiation. As the investigation showed, it was during tests under water that the compact nuclear reactor of the Burevestnik rocket exploded. The manufacturer of this rocket is GKB (experimental design bureau) “Novator”.

As Russian websites write, during its existence, the Novator State Design Bureau created 6 types of artillery and 24 types of missile weapons.

What is “GKB Novator” and location

State Clinical Hospital “Novator” was founded in 1947 in the city of Yekaterinburg. Engaged in the development and production of missile systems, “cruise missiles”, in particular, the Caliber family of missiles, missile launchers, training facilities for land-based, sea-based and air-based complexes.

In 2002, according to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation Putin, the State Clinical Hospital became part of the JSC Concern VKO Almaz-Antey. Since 2016, the chairman of the board of directors of the Almaz-Antey concern has been Mikhail Efremovich Fradkov (Mikhail Efremovich Fradkov), former director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (2007-2016). Before that, it was led by Kamnev Pavel Ivanovich (Kamnev Pavel Ivanovich). The son of the former general director and chief designer Pavel Kamnev, Pavel Pavlovich (Russian: Kamenev Pavel Pavlovich), worked as the chief lawyer of the Novator State Design Bureau. In 2016, he was found hanged in one of Novator’s offices. The cause of death was given as suicide.

According to the milling operator vacancy, for 2021 the plant worked in 2 shifts: from 7:30 to 16:00 and from 15:45 to 00:15. The vacancy for a toolmaker (patterner) also lists a third shift - from 00:00 to 7:30.

In August 2019, an explosion occurred at the central training ground of the Russian Navy “Nenoksa” (“Nenoksa”). As a result, one person died and the background radiation was increased. According to an investigation by svoboda.org, the explosion occurred underwater during an attempt to raise a compact nuclear reactor to the surface, that is, the Burevestnik rocket (produced by the Novator State Design Bureau) or Poseidon.

What does the territory of “Novator” look like?

The main buildings are located in Yekaterinburg, Kosmonavtov Avenue, 18. Probably, this is where they are engaged in the production and assembly of “Calibers” - in building 18Shch and an unnamed building next to it, since near these buildings there are tubes for missiles similar to “Calibers”.

The Novator State Design Bureau plant is located on an area of ​​2750 m2. There is also the production of “MZiK” - the machine-building plant named after. M.I. Kalinina. In fact, they are the same structure. “Novator” was founded in 1947 on the basis of the Kalinin plant.

The entire production area as a whole is indicated in blue.

Possible production capacity of “Caliber”, all buildings are interconnected.

Some of the buildings are rented out as offices.

This part of the production premises is located outside the territory of the Novator State Clinical Hospital. Here, in particular, there are offices and buildings of various industries that rent premises. For example, a tram depot, a car service center, a car dealership and a toy store.

Part of the premises in a 4-story office building on the territory of the plant is rented out. This is probably the building that faces Cosmonauts Avenue. That is, it is not far from the entrance of the plant.

Diagram of building No. 6, where construction is planned to refuel and load “Calibers”

Other corps and military units:

One of the buildings of the flight test center in the city of Akhtubinsk, where repairs were carried out in September 2022

Flight test center - the city of Akhtubinsk-7, military unit of the Russian Air Force 15650. In January, April, August and September 2022, tenders were held for the repair of the production facility.

One of the buildings at industrial site No. 1 in the Sverdlovsk region of Russia

Industrial site No. 1 – Sverdlovsk region, city of Kirovgrad, village. Neivo-Rudyanka, st. Zavodskaya, 4. The territory of the former timber chemical plant (streetview, photo, satellite photo 2019 with cylindrical metal objects. One of the buildings, with an area of ​​3000 m², was put up for sale in 2015 (1, 2).

Hull repairs, explosions and deaths at the plant

In September 2016, the Novator State Clinical Hospital began construction of a new building, completing it in October 2018. This indicates an expansion of production capabilities. In 2019-2020, another structure was erected on a neighboring site, which is likely also related to the expansion of production.

In addition, ground work on another site began in 2020, indicating the continuous modernization and development of the enterprise. Here are some examples of buildings that were updated at the plant during 2016-2020.

New workshops appearing on the territory of the plant

In 2016, the roof of building No. 15 of MZiK above workshops No. 10 and No. 42 collapsed. According to the official version, as a result of the incident, 4 people died, 14 were injured, but, probably, the number of victims is underestimated; at least one case is known when an employee, out of shock, did not realize that he had a leg injury, and the next day, when he arrived he was refused sick leave at the factory hospital, since the workshop was already closed. After the incident with the roof collapse, the following were also closed: building No. 27, the production part of building No. 11, workshop No. 24 of building No. 3.

As for employee reviews, they only confirm this hypothesis. In particular, the engineer's review in September 2022 states:

Here are some employee reviews:

Russian “oppositionist” among the management of the plant that produces “Caliber”

Abdrakhmanov Farid Khabibulovich (Russian -Abdrakhmanov Farid Khabibullovich)

Date of birth: October 22, 1954

TIN 666301586521

Passport 1: 6503571486

Passport 2: 6519986500

SNIOR: 01092556523, 76503571486, 79221019080

Address: Ekaterinburg, Vostochnaya st., 8a, apt. 12.

General Director and General Designer. Also co-founder of Monul CJSC (Monul CJSC), the main activity was “other wholesale trade” (“51.70 – Other wholesale trade”).

Owned 2 cars: BMW X3 with number B646EM196 [VIN:X4XWX394400C93629]. He probably sold it in 2022); and Lexus NX300H (1, 2) with number M141MC196 [VIN:JTJBJRBZ502086686], which, it seems, was also sold in 2022.

Fines for traffic violations: 04/01/2007 - failure to comply with the requirements prescribed by road signs or roadway markings, 12/17/2007 - failure to provide priority in traffic to pedestrians or other road users. Has 9 enforcement proceedings in the amount of 12k rubles. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

Ivanov Vladimir Geraldovich (Russian – Ivanov Vladimir Geraldovich) – head of the trade union “GKB “Novator”. Presumably, since 2014, he was a co-founder of the regional branch of the “Progress Party” in the Sverdlovsk region - the party of the “opposition” politician Alexei Navalny. The regional branch in the Sverdlovsk region was liquidated in May 2015.

The global threat of “Novator”

Due to the war in Ukraine, in 2022, sanctions were imposed on the Novator State Design Bureau by the United States, the EU, Switzerland and Ukraine as a manufacturer of military missiles. But, according to a statement by a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Russian Federation can produce 15-20 “Calibers” per month. As of January 3, 2022, the Russian Federation still had 177 Kalibr, Kh-101 and Kh-55 missiles.

The Novator design bureau represents a significant and complex challenge in Russia's war against Ukraine. This company is the source of Caliber, and they also produce other missiles that threaten the security of Ukraine. Considering that some of these missiles are intercontinental and can carry a nuclear charge, the Novator, like the Caliber, is a threat to the whole world.