Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to allow major companies to purchase air defense systems to protect their facilities, Bloomberg reported.
The weapons would remain under the ministry’s control, while reservist units would be responsible for operating them. According to the report, Russian businesses previously had no direct access to air defense services. Under the new arrangement, companies would be able to use anti-aircraft systems, artillery, radar equipment and electronic warfare tools.
Bloomberg linked the move to the rising number of Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s energy and raw materials infrastructure. Last month, eight of Russia’s ten largest oil refineries were reportedly targeted. Kiev has also expanded the range of its strikes deep into Russian territory, reaching sites as far as the Urals, roughly 2,000 kilometers from the border.
Large industrial companies have already begun coordinating with the Defense Ministry on the deployment of Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and gun systems near their plants. Bloomberg also reported that in late May, Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, told Russian President Vladimir Putin that businesses were ready to finance the purchase of defensive weapons.