Science City of Dubna – Russia’s terror factory

Dubna, a picturesque city on the banks of Volga 110 km north of Moscow, is known to scientists all over the world for its international laboratory: Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (JINR). There is even a chemical element, Dubnium, named after this city of science. But international scientists collaborating with JINR often turn blind eye to what happens on the other bank of the Volga river. This city’s secret which was always hidden in plain sight was exposed on 28th of May in an announcement by General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: 

“The Defense Forces of Ukraine struck important objects of the military-industrial complex of the Russian occupiers. 

Units of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine inflicted fire damage on JSC “Kronstadt”, located in the city of Dubna, Moscow Region. 

Intensive work of enemy air defense was noted in the area of ​​the enterprise, and the destruction of the object was confirmed. The joint-stock company specializes in unmanned aircraft systems. In particular, the UAVs “Orion”, “Inokhodets”, “Molniya”, “Grom”, “Termit”, “Helios”, “Sirius”, and ground control complexes are manufactured here.

In the same city, as part of a single plan, SBU units separately struck the “Raduga” missile production plant. It manufactures cruise missiles of various classes: “air-to-air”, “air-to-ground”, “ground-to-ground”. Among the plant's products are the Kh-101/555, Kh-69, Kh-59MK, with which the rf terrorizes the population and strikes civilian objects in Ukraine.”

Why are military factories located next to a major international scientific center? 

Weapon production requires unimpeded access to modern technologies, but technological developments are not a strong point of Russia. The original “Raduga” production lines were developed by German engineers, moved to Dubna as part of World War II reparations to the Soviet Union. JINR was created in 1956, shortly after their departure. JINR scientists were allowed to participate in a wide range of international scientific projects and exchanges under the watchful eye of KGB and under a condition to bring new technologies back to Dubna. Meanwhile in Dubna, Raduga was developing new missile designs, under the disguise of a stroller factory. The “Tensor” instrument factory opened in the city in 1973 produced devices for nuclear power plants. The “Atoll” research Institute was created three years later to develop equipment for monitoring underwater and water surface conditions. The Dubna Space Communication Center, constructed in 1977 is still the largest in Russia and one of the largest in Europe.

Special Economic Zone on the Volga

After the fall of the Soviet Union, scientists from the JINR expanded their participation in international scientific projects and began to openly involve “Raduga” in them. “Raduga” also collaborated with the JINR in the creation of the Dubna Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in 2005 and Dubna State University in 1995. It is at this university that scientists and engineers from the JINR train specialists for “Raduga” and other military enterprises in Dubna. Meanwhile, in the SEZ JINR scientists have established joint ventures with the Federal Security Service of Russia which benefit from their long-term cooperation. The Museum of the History of Cruise Missile Creation in Dubna was opened in one of the local schools. The Russian state has invested a lot of resources in its “Silicon Valley” on the Volga to maximize profit from the JINR research and international cooperation.

Three years after the full scale invasion

The machine-design bureau Raduga and its production plant are under sanctions. As well as many other enterprises in Dubna, in the SEZ and beyond. This includes the drone production plant of JSC Kronstadt, which opened in Dubna in 2021. 

In the past three years, Raduga increased its Kh-101 missile production from about 50 to over 600 a year. Not only there are more missiles, but these missiles are also made more deadly by Dubna engineers: flying at lower altitudes, carrying bigger warheads. They replaced as many of the foreign-made parts as they could with those which could be made locally. Also new missiles had been developed, such as Kronstadt new S8000 Banderol cruise missile, which can be air launched from their Orion drones. 

To increase the number of missiles produced, the Dubna plants had to switch their factories to work in three shifts. This required hiring and training new specialists. In the end of 2021 JINR and Raduga announced a program to expand personnel housing, which succeeded in attracting a new generation of young specialists to Dubna. Dubna State University introduced targeted programs, such as training of engineers for the Kronstadt drone plant. JINR scientists openly collaborate with Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec, work dual-use projects such as drone engine developments and provide computing support for the Dubna military production hub through their Multifunctional Information and Computing Complex project. 

The JINR and Dubna State University are not subject to any sanctions for the moment. This has allowed JINR scientists not only to continue international scientific cooperation, but also to open it to participation from other Russian institutes under sanctions.

The example of Dubna shows how the funds invested in fundamental science pay off manyfold. Ukrainians experienced this first-hand: the majority of missiles raining on our cities for the past three years has been made in Dubna.

What now? 

The attack of Ukrainian drones on the enterprises of Dubna on May 28 should temporarily halt the flow of weapons from there. Existing sanctions against Dubna military enterprises also help to slow the weapon production. But weapons do not produce themselves : they require skilled personnel and infrastructure. Ukraine and its partners need to acknowledge the role of the JINR and its Dubna State University in the expansion of the Dubna terror factory. The international community needs to take decisive actions to stop the flow of new knowledge and technology to Dubna and Russia in general.