Putin grants government powers to seize firms vulnerable to drone attacks

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has given his government powers to temporarily manage critical infrastructure facilities if their owners fail to protect them against security threats.

A decree published Monday gives Russia’s Federal Agency for State Property Management extensive powers to seize industrial sites if their owners have failed to take protective measures against uncrewed aerial vehicles, among other risks.

It will operate seized businesses as the owner and Putin can designate any other entity as the temporary manager, according to the decree.

Since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has stepped up efforts to bring privately owned assets — including industrial and defense-related companies — under state control. Around 805 companies were transferred to the state between 2022 and 2026, according to Vadim Yakovenko, head of the Federal Agency for State Property Management.

“We are not talking about nationalization,” Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said in a press conference Tuesday , according to the state-owned news agency TASS. He blamed business owners for approaching threats “with varying degrees of responsibility.” In some cases, “ensuring the security of facilities and employees, unfortunately, is not a priority for them,” Manturov added.

Critical businesses listed by the decree include fuel and energy facilities, industrial sites and logistics platforms.

The decree comes amid intensifying drone strikes from Ukraine, including significant attacks on online retailer Wildberries and the country’s second-largest online marketplace, Ozon. A July report from the Ukrainian military said that its attacks have also disabled around 43 percent of the country’s oil refining capacity .