Russian Parliament Lets Banks Arm Staff Against Drones as Nearly 50 Countries Rebuke Kyiv Threats
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 27
Russian Parliament Lets Banks Arm Staff Against Drones as Nearly 50 Countries Rebuke Kyiv Threats
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 27
Russia’s parliament passed a law letting banks including Sberbank operate air-defense systems and arm staff against Ukrainian drones without special-forces involvement.
The measure shifts both security and cost to lenders as Moscow struggles to protect sites across its vast territory after concentrating air defenses around areas including the capital.
Russian business leaders have already told Vladimir Putin that companies are ready to buy heavier weapons and electronic warfare systems to defend themselves from drone attacks.
Separately, nearly 50 countries condemned Moscow’s warning that diplomats and foreign citizens should leave Kyiv ahead of what Russia called “systematic” strikes on the capital’s decision-making centers.
In a broader sign of sustained backing for Ukraine, the Czech Republic said its ammunition initiative has contracts for about 1 million rounds in 2026, with nearly €1 billion secured this year.
As Russia arms its banks, is this a sign of state failure or a new model of privatized national defense?
With the EU funding arms from frozen Russian assets, where is the line between innovative sanctions and outright economic warfare?
Russia’s Financial Sector Militarized: New Law Requires Banks to Deploy Drone Defenses and Arm Staff Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
Overview
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian drone attacks have regularly targeted Russian critical infrastructure, aiming to disrupt revenues and influence the conflict. In response to this escalating drone war, Russia enacted a new law on May 27, 2026, allowing major financial institutions like the Central Bank and Sberbank to set up their own drone defense systems. These banks must fund and manage these defenses themselves, marking a significant shift as civilian financial entities take on new security roles to protect against ongoing aerial threats.