Russia faces fibre optic shortage as supplies run out – Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service
Russia's authorities have been forced to postpone the mandatory localisation of fibre optic production after the shutdown of the country's only plant producing this material.
Source: Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine
Details: The intelligence service notes that Russia is experiencing a shortage of fibre optic cable: existing reserves are running out, and production has stopped.
According to intelligence data, Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed to temporarily allow the use of imported fibre optics in cable production and postpone the requirement to use Russian raw materials until 2028.
The intelligence service says the decision was caused by the shutdown of the JSC Optic Fibre Systems plant in Saransk – the only company in Russia producing optical fibre.
"The company ceased operations after critical damage to its equipment. According to estimates by the Russian government, existing warehouse stocks may be depleted in the near future, while production is not expected to resume before the end of 2027," the statement says.
The Foreign Intelligence Service noted that the situation has demonstrated the vulnerability of Russian industry, which largely depends on a limited number of manufacturers and imported technologies. Optical fibre is used in telecommunications, data centres, the energy sector, and also in drone control systems.
"Due to the shutdown of the only plant, the country has effectively lost its domestic production of strategically important products," the intelligence service added.
According to intelligence information, China has already increased fibre optic prices severalfold, creating risks of shortages and rising costs for the construction of telecommunications networks, the modernisation of energy systems and other infrastructure projects.
Experts note that before the shutdown of the Optic Fibre Systems plant, its products supplied around 30-40% of Russia's demand for optical fibre. Total consumption of this material in Russia is estimated at no less than 15-20 million kilometres per year.
As a result, the country is now forced to rely almost entirely on imports of optical fibre.
According to open data, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade had planned to introduce a requirement from 2026 that cables could be considered Russian-made for state procurement only if they contained domestically produced optical fibre.
Background: Earlier, it was reported that Russia's only optical fibre producer, Optic Fibre Systems, ceased operations in May 2025 after a series of Ukrainian attacks.
Oboronka previously analysed the specifics of creating fibre-optic drones in Ukraine in the article Drone shortages and severed links: why Ukraine still trails on fibre-optic UAV production
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