Russian leader Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing Russian private companies’ assets to be seized if they fail to shoot down Ukrainian drones.
The decree signed on Monday, August 24 says the state can temporarily take control of critical infrastructure sites if private owners fail to protect them from attacks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday ‘often business owners do not pay enough attention to taking measures to ensure safety, anti-drone safety’.
Amid the threat of continued drone attacks on critical infrastructure, he said ‘we must take measures, we must ensure our own safety’.
In recent months, Ukraine has targeted Russian ports and oil refineries in a bid to cripple the economy.
These attacks have caused widespread disruption and Putin’s warning on Monday comes amid increasing economic pressure and public frustration over Ukraine’s new campaign.
However, Ukraine has also seen relentless aerial attacks that have hammered its power grid ahead of winter and heavily damaged residential areas.
Now in a new development, bosses of private companies in the energy, industrial, communications and transport and logistics sectors have all been warned by Putin that their assets could be seized.
