Russian lawmaker calls on companies to form armed units against drone attacks

A senior lawmaker in Russia has called on major companies, particularly in the energy sector, to take a more active role in defending their facilities from drone attacks, including by forming their own armed units.

Sergey Mironov, head of the “A Just Russia” faction in the State Duma, said recent legislative changes now allow private security organizations to acquire firearms to protect critical infrastructure.

“At the end of March, a long-awaited law came into force allowing private security organizations to obtain small arms to defend critically important facilities from drones. Now companies in the fuel and energy sector have all the capabilities to repel attacks by the Kyiv regime together with units of the Ministry of Defense,” Mironov said in comments to Russian media.

He added that such measures could help reduce economic and environmental damage caused by drone strikes and urged the government to issue direct instructions requiring companies to take defensive action.

Russian firms have already invested in counter-drone systems since the early stages of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Major oil companies, including Rosneft, Lukoil, Bashneft, Slavneft and Transneft, reportedly spent around $11 million in 2023 on such equipment.

Despite those efforts, portable counter-drone systems and anti-drone rifles have not fully prevented strikes, with Ukrainian attacks on energy and industrial facilities continuing.

The renewed focus on infrastructure protection comes as Ukrainian forces demonstrate the range of their long-distance strike capabilities. On April 30, the Security Service of Ukraine reported a drone strike targeting the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez refinery in the city of Perm for a second consecutive day.

According to the agency, drones operated by a special operations unit hit key components of the refinery, including the AVT-4 primary oil processing unit. The attack reportedly ignited both vacuum and atmospheric distillation columns, damage that could significantly disrupt operations.

The refinery is one of Russia’s largest, with an annual processing capacity of nearly 13 million tons, supplying fuel for civilian use and the military. The facility is located more than 1,500 kilometers from Ukraine, demonstrating the expanding reach of drone strikes in the conflict.