Russian Business Urges Putin to Fund Heavier Drone Defenses Beyond 7.62-Caliber Rifles
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 26
Russian Business Urges Putin to Fund Heavier Drone Defenses Beyond 7.62-Caliber Rifles
10 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 26
Alexander Shokhin told Vladimir Putin that Russian companies are ready to pay for heavier weapons, electronic warfare systems and laser installations to protect industrial sites from drone attacks.
The request follows a surge in Ukrainian strikes on refineries, oil depots, fertiliser plants and ports, which business leaders say current defenses cannot adequately stop.
Moscow has already allowed private guards at industrial facilities to use 7.62-caliber automatic rifles such as AK-47s and to draw reservists into local protection units.
Shokhin said businesses need a clear state-backed financing mechanism—possibly a dedicated fund—and also asked for tax-payment penalty deferrals while damaged facilities are repaired.
He added that rotating plant-guard units too often between sites is weakening defenses, underscoring how drone attacks are forcing Russian industry to seek a broader wartime security role.
As Russian businesses demand military-grade weapons, is the state losing its monopoly on national defense?
Russia outproduces NATO in ammo, yet can't stop drones. Is private funding the answer to its defense gaps?