Russian private companies granted permission to purchase heavy weaponry for UAV defense - media
Kyiv • UNN
Russia has allowed companies to purchase anti-aircraft guns and electronic warfare systems for drone protection. The mechanism was implemented to safeguard oil refineries and industrial facilities.
Russian authorities have approved a mechanism that allows private companies to purchase heavy weaponry to protect industrial facilities from drone attacks, RBC reports, citing sources linked to the Ministry of Defense, according to UNN.
Details
As the publication writes, the new system will allow companies to purchase anti-aircraft artillery mounts, turrets, radar equipment, specialized vehicles, and electronic warfare systems.
"In order to promptly provide the newly created mobile fire groups with everything they need, relevant decisions were recently made at the state level," one of the sources told RBC.
This step underscores the growing concern of the Russian authorities and business elite over the increasing frequency of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting oil refineries, industrial facilities, and other strategic infrastructure in the European part of Russia.
The issue was publicly raised on Monday during a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP).
"Large companies are certainly taking measures — at least all conscientious large companies — to protect both their facilities and the territories where they operate. But some issues still need to be resolved," Shokhin told Putin, according to the Kremlin transcript.
He added that these include mechanisms for supplying weapons, not only light 7.62 mm small arms but also heavier weapon systems. This also concerns various electronic warfare systems, laser units, and other types of weaponry.