President Vladimir Putin issued a presidential decree on Monday granting the Russian state authority to assume control of critically important infrastructure facilities deemed inadequately protected against Ukrainian drone attacks and other threats. The special powers outlined in the decree enable the state to temporarily take over the administration of such facilities, including their physical and financial assets, as well as formal ownership rights, if the responsible entities are found to have neglected their duty to safeguard these assets or have been sluggish in repairing them following an attack.

The decree specifies that the scope of this authority encompasses a range of facilities considered vital for ensuring the security and economic stability of the state and its population, including fuel, energy, industrial, communications, transport, and logistics infrastructure. This move comes amid a recent escalation in Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian oil refineries and retail warehouses. Notably, Ukraine has attacked at least two dozen warehouses belonging to Russia’s leading online retailer, Wildberries, since July 18, significantly impacting its storage capacity. Additionally, Russia’s second-largest online retailer, Ozon, reported that four of its logistics hubs in southern Russia were targeted by Ukrainian attacks on the same day the decree was issued. ¹

Footnotes

1. Reuters. (2023, August 24). Putin hands Russian state right to take control of badly protected infrastructure objects. Yahoo News. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/putin-hands-state-control-badly-131902662.html ↩

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