Rusburmash Launches Large-Scale Robotisation of Rosatom’s Mining Division

What Has Already Been Done

In 2025, Rusburmash, the specialised drilling company within Rosatom State Corporation’s Mining Division, formalised priority projects for the use of robotics at drilling sites and moved on to practical pilot deployments.

The plan calls for the rollout of approximately 230 robotic systems by 2030. The programme follows presidential directives to accelerate industrial robotisation and is designed to reduce dependence on external technologies in the mining sector.

What Tasks the Robots Perform

Robots take over heavy, routine, and hazardous operations, including installation and servicing of drill strings, lifting and positioning of tools, and taking measurements under extreme conditions.

This reduces the physical burden on personnel, lowers injury risks, and stabilises operations in environments where climate and terrain work against human crews. At the same time, robotisation improves precision and cuts downtime, saving both time and project costs. These effects are already embedded in pilot routes and confirmed by reports from the first deployments.

Building the Digital Infrastructure for Robotic Drilling

Full-scale robotisation requires not only machines, but also a mature digital platform. Robotic systems generate continuous telemetry streams, including equipment status, geolocation, and data from the borehole.

These data must be collected, stored, and processed in real time so that algorithms can predict failures and manage maintenance. This involves building local data collection centres, using cloud-based analytics, and deploying machine learning for predictive servicing. Without this layer, robots remain standalone units rather than integrated elements of a single production chain.

For us, it is important to receive direct feedback from drilling crews and to base new technologies on real operational needs. Our drillers’ experience will help determine where we can achieve the greatest impact, in terms of reducing downtime, improving safety, and ensuring stable operations

Gleb Nosyrev

Chief Executive Officer of Rusburmash JSC

Addressing Technical Challenges Through Phased Deployment

Rusburmash is already testing new Russian-made installations and adapting solutions to operate under severe cold and heavy loads. At the same time, the company is building phased integration models: initially, robots perform individual tasks under operator supervision, then transition to semi-autonomous operation.

In parallel, retraining programmes are being launched and service centres established to ensure that a local engineering network can support and scale up the robot fleet.

Expanding Productivity and Industry Impact

Over time, the division is expected to achieve steady productivity growth and create a technological base for the emergence of Russian manufacturers of robotics and related software.

Such solutions also have export potential. Countries with harsh climatic conditions and developing mining industries are interested in turnkey robotic systems and the accompanying digital platforms.

Large-scale localisation of these technologies will strengthen technological sovereignty and create new domestic value chains.

Outlook: From Safer Operations to Exportable Technologies

The Rusburmash programme is part of a broader strategy, ranging from improving workforce safety to developing export-ready technologies. By 2030, the company expects the replication of around 230 robotic systems, growth in local component production, advances in digital analytics, and systematic workforce training.

For the industry, this signals a shift to a new operating model in which people and robots work together, and efficiency and safety become key competitive advantages.