Fanil Gazisovich Ziyatdinov's total work experience at the Izhevsk Electromechanical plant Kupol has already exceeded half a century.
"Sometimes they say: I gave the company half a century. But no, I didn't give it away, but the plant gave me a life full of bright events and the joy of work," says Fanil Ziyatdinov, CEO of IEMZ Kupol.
Fanil Ziyatdinov, General Director of IEMZ Kupol (part of the Almaz-Antey East Kazakhstan Region Concern), was recently awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, first class.
The highest state award was presented to the head of one of the largest defense enterprises in Udmurtia by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 21, 2026 in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin.
"This solemn ceremony is a sign of recognition of the merits of outstanding Russian citizens, their selfless work, unique talent, amazing courage, and the achievements and breakthroughs that our contemporaries make in various fields," the head of state said at the opening of the event. "These successes have a direct impact on the development of the whole country, on the development of Russia, and will serve the state, the people, and our descendants for many, many decades to come."
After receiving the award from Vladimir Putin, Fanil Ziyatdinov, CEO of IEMZ Kupol, noted that receiving this high award is not only a personal contribution, it is the result of the work of thousands of employees of the enterprise.:
"It is a great honor for me to receive this high award today. I want to say that this is not only my personal contribution. These are the results of the work of many people, first of all the thousands of employees of our company, this is the work of developers and scientists, engineers and designers who create competitive products for both military special purposes and civilian products, this is the work of workers and employees of our company who translate the ideas of engineers and designers into competitive products," Fanil Ziyatdinov emphasized..
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| Fanil Ziyatdinov, General Director of IEMZ Kupol (part of the Almaz-Antey East Kazakhstan Region Concern). |
| Source: Photo of the press service of the President of the Russian Federation |
As the CEO of Kupol added, over the past five years, the factory team has increased the potential and capacity of its products by more than five times.
"Our products help to save the lives of combatants in a specially military operation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many thousands of employees for their achievements in their work. I want to assure you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, that we will continue to increase the potential of our company and contribute to the development of the Russian economy," Fanil Ziyatdinov said.
In turn, the head of state confirmed that he was very pleased to be among the outstanding people working in the interests of our country and the Russian people.:
"One of the awardees whispered in my ear: 'I serve the working people!' You are doing it in the best possible way. We all serve the working people, and you serve them in the best possible way. Thank you very much for your hard work, for your talent, and for your results," Vladimir Putin said at the end of the solemn event.
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| A general photo of the awardees on May 21, 2026 in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin. |
| Source: Photo of the press service of the President of the Russian Federation |
To date, Fanil Ziyatdinov is the first representative of the Udmurt Republic to be awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, first class.
Having started his career back in 1972 as a controller of radio electronic equipment and devices, Fanil Ziyatdinov is now deservedly one of the most effective and reputable leaders in the country's military-industrial complex.
Today, the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol, part of the Almaz-Antey East Kazakhstan Region Concern, is one of the key enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. Today, about 14,000 specialists work at Kupol.
The Tor-M2 family of anti-aircraft missile systems manufactured at Kupol daily confirm their combat characteristics in the area of a special military operation. Izhevsk air defense systems are constantly evolving, receiving new modifications, including Arctic and marine variants, taking into account the extensive combat experience of these combat vehicles.
