Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree giving the government the power to temporarily take control of “critical infrastructure” across the country if private owners fail to protect it from escalating Ukrainian attacks.
The new measures come as Moscow and Kiev step up airstrikes, with Ukrainian forces deep into Russian territory causing fuel shortages and bringing war closer to ordinary Russians.
Kiev has in recent days stepped up attacks on Russia’s Ozone logistics hub, a competitor of e-commerce giant Wildberry, which is frequently targeted in an effort to undermine Moscow’s war-driven economy. The decree, which came into force on Monday, says the new measures are being introduced “in connection with the growing threat to the security of critical infrastructure facilities of the Russian Federation.”
According to the Decree, the sectors covered include, among others, fuel and energy infrastructure, communications, transport and logistics facilities.
If the owners do not take sufficient measures to ensure the “security” of such facilities or do not restore their functionality quickly enough after an attack, the government can decide to implement “interim control”, the decree says. This effectively transfers control of the owner’s property, property rights, and shares to the Russian state.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that “very often business owners do not pay due attention to ensuring safety and anti-drone measures.”
He also gave a nod to Western support for Kiev as another reason why the Russian government “must take steps” to “ensure its own security.”
Asked which companies could be subject to the powers of the degree, Peskov told reporters that the situation would “mainly be analyzed by the government and relevant institutions.”
“If safety measures are not taken in critical areas, corresponding proposals will be submitted,” he added.
Meanwhile, Russia is increasingly launching high-velocity missile attacks across Ukraine, taking advantage of Kiev’s lack of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors, which Russia relies heavily on to shoot down ballistic missiles. The shortage is exacerbated by a global shortage amid the Iran war.
Russia fired two missiles and 150 drones into Ukraine overnight on Tuesday, and 124 drones were shot down, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Amid a shortage of interceptor missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kiev had received “a small number of Patriot missiles,” Ukrainian state media Ukrinform reported on Tuesday.
“I won’t say which country provided them. We also received a small number of Patriot missiles. I can’t say how many, but just a few. We need more,” Zelenskiy said in a meeting with his Estonian counterpart, according to the Ukrinform news agency.
