Russia becomes dependent on China in another key area, intelligence reports
Illustrative photo: fiber optics, critically important for Russia, are now in short supply (Getty Images)
Russia has been forced to postpone the mandatory localization of fiber optic production for at least two years. The reason is the complete shutdown of the country’s only specialized plant, leaving Russia fully dependent on imports from China, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service.
The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed postponing the requirement for mandatory use of domestic fiber optics until 2028. Until then, Russian cable manufacturers are allowed to use imported raw materials.
The critical situation arose due to the closure of the Optical Fiber Systems plant in Saransk—the only facility in Russia producing this product. Operations were halted after severe equipment damage caused by attacks. According to the Russian government, stockpiles will soon run out, and production is unlikely to resume before the end of 2027.
Before the shutdown, the Saransk plant supplied up to 40% of the Russian market’s demand (estimated at 15–20 million km per year). Now, Russia is forced to rely almost entirely on Chinese imports.
This has already caused several problems:
- Price pressure: Chinese suppliers have already raised fiber optic prices several times.
- Infrastructure risk: the raw material shortage slows down construction of telecom networks, data centers, and energy system upgrades.
- Military impact: fiber optics is a critical component for drone control systems and other military equipment.
Fiber optics is considered a strategic material, and Russia has tried to achieve import substitution after Western sanctions were imposed. However, attacks on industrial facilities have effectively destroyed these efforts.
According to Russian media, since May 2025, the country’s only fiber optic plant has been shut down following strikes by Ukrainian forces. Meanwhile, China, now supplying 100% of Russia’s fiber optics, has quadrupled its prices.
