Russian authorities have approved a mechanism allowing private companies to purchase heavy weaponry to defend industrial facilities against drone attacks, the RBC news website reported Thursday, citing sources linked to the Defense Ministry.
The new system will allow companies to procure anti-aircraft artillery systems, turrets, radar equipment, specialized vehicles and electronic warfare systems, RBC reported.
“In order to promptly provide newly formed mobile fire groups with everything they need, the relevant decisions were recently adopted at the state level,” one source told RBC.
The move underscores mounting concern among Russian authorities and business leaders over the growing frequency of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting oil refineries, industrial sites and other strategic infrastructure across European Russia.
The issue was publicly raised Monday during a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP).
