PJSC Energia: Drones Strike Russia’s Largest Military Battery Manufacturer

A group of long-range drones struck the Russian enterprise PJSC Energia, a key supplier involved in the production of dozens of types of weapons and in the aerospace industry.

Footage of the strike has been released online.

On the night of May 23, a group of about a dozen long-range drones attacked the Russian enterprise PJSC Energia, located in the city of Yelets in the Lipetsk region — 200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

According to eyewitnesses, at least several drones reached their target. Footage captured by local residents shows that the enterprise’s building was damaged.

The geointelligence project CyberBoroshno also geolocated the struck building precisely within the territory of the Russian enterprise, noting that in addition to the initial impact, the video also shows a fire in another location, indicating multiple hits.

PJSC Energia is a Russian enterprise specializing in the production of sealed lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and lithium-ion batteries, uninterruptible power supplies, and military-grade electrochemical power sources.

The enterprise is one of the largest battery manufacturers in Russia and plays a key role in the defense industry due to the specialization of its products. Its batteries are used across a broad range of military equipment — from combat drones to intercontinental ballistic missiles.

According to Russian contractor monitoring services, the company had multimillion-dollar contracts with over 20 defense-related clients — including direct agreements with the Russian Ministry of Defense as well as with Russian defense enterprises.

Specifically, these include prominent Russian weapons manufacturers such as:

• KBP Instrument Design Bureau (Tula): Producer of the Kornet anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems and man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS);
• JSC Kalashnikov Concern: Manufacturer of combat drones and robotic combat systems;
• NPO Splav: Producer of multiple launch rocket systems such as Grad and Tornado, along with corresponding munitions;
• JSC Precision & Engineering Design Bureau named after A. E. Nudelman (KB Tochmash) and Strela: Air defense systems and air-to-air missiles (e.g., Pantsir SAM systems, short-range air defense, aviation missiles);
• NPO Kvant, JSC Sozvezdie Concern, and NPO Delta: Electronic warfare systems, communications, and intelligence systems (e.g., Krasukha, Moskva-1);
• NPO Poisk: Reconnaissance electronics, radar systems, and control systems;
• Navy (Federal state unitary enterprise “13 ship repair plant of the black sea fleet” of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation): Power systems for military ships;
• JSC 1015 ZRVTI, 55th Military Arsenal: Ammunition and surface-to-air missile system repair and refurbishment

PJSC Energia is a critical bottleneck in the logistics chain for the production of dozens of Russian weapons systems, as there are only three such enterprises operating in Russia.

According to the company, RUB 988 million were invested in the development of its facilities last year. As a result, it nearly doubled its production output by the end of 2024.

In addition to weapons manufacturing, the enterprise also supplies its products to the State Corporation for Space Activities “Roscosmos”, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, and other Russian government agencies.