In response to drone attacks, Russian companies are asking Putin for heavier weapons to protect industrial sites.

Russian companies have asked President Vladimir Putin to strengthen the defense capabilities of industrial sites by providing them with heavier weapons and electronic warfare systems, amid escalating attacks by Ukrainian drones against the country's strategic infrastructure.

At a meeting in Moscow, Alexander Shokhin, president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the country's main business lobby, indicated that companies were prepared to finance the acquisition of this defense equipment themselves. The aim would be to better protect facilities deemed sensitive, such as refineries, oil depots, fertilizer plants, and certain ports.

According to discussions reported by the Kremlin, industry representatives believe that the light weapons currently authorized for private security companies are no longer sufficient. They are now demanding more advanced defense capabilities, including electronic systems, anti-drone devices, and even laser technologies.

This request comes as the Russian government has already authorized the use of 7,62 mm caliber automatic weapons, including AK-47 rifles, for security companies tasked with protecting industrial infrastructure. Authorities have also begun mobilizing reservists into local units dedicated to protecting certain strategic sites.

The increasing number of drone attacks in Ukraine, regularly targeting Russian energy and industrial facilities, has prompted authorities and businesses to adapt their security measures. These strikes have caused disruptions in several key sectors of the economy.

In this context, Russian business leaders are advocating for the establishment of a specific financing mechanism to purchase and deploy more sophisticated defense systems. This proposal illustrates the growing involvement of the private sector in national security matters.

For now, no final decision has been announced by the Kremlin, but the discussions reflect increasing pressure from the business community to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure in the face of a threat that has become recurrent.