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Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing the government to temporarily take control of critical infrastructure if private owners fail to protect it from Ukrainian drone attacks or rebuild it after strikes.Russia is facing economic and political pressure due to months of escalating, deep and increasingly accurate Ukrainian strikes. Kyiv has used domestically developed long-range drones to target vital oil facilities, triggering fuel shortages, and major commercial hubs, embarrassing the Russian leadership.Ukraine has also reeled from relentless Russian aerial attacks that have smashed its power grid ahead of winter and heavily damaged homes, as Russia’s invasion stretches into its fifth year.
The decree may pressure owners to undertake repairsThe Kremlin’s intentions with Putin’s decree, announced late Monday, are unclear. However, it applies to various sectors, including energy and fuel infrastructure, industrial, communications, transport and logistics facilities.Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said in a statement Monday evening that the decree doesn’t imply nationalization of companies or a change of ownership — only “involvement of the state in the management of an enterprise to solve specific security problems.”
