Russian companies are ready to finance the purchase of heavier weapons and electronic systems to protect industrial sites from drone attacks, the head of Russia's most influential business organization, Alexander Shokhin, told Russian President Vladimir Putin, quoted by "Reuters".
The Russian industrial sector, including oil refineries, oil depots, fertilizer plants and ports, has been hit by a sharp increase in Ukrainian drone attacks this year.
The Russian government has already allowed the use of 7.62 mm automatic weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, by private security companies guarding industrial sites. In addition, reservists may be mobilized into local units to protect these facilities.
According to statements published on the Kremlin website, Shokhin stated that companies need "not only light weapons of 7.62 caliber, but also heavier weapons, including various electronic warfare systems, laser installations and other calibers".
"Business is ready to finance all this work, but a mechanism is needed in which the financing schemes are clear. "This could be some kind of fund or other form of targeted financing," said Shokhin, who heads the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
He also asked Putin to postpone sanctions for late tax and other payments to the state budget while companies repair facilities damaged in the attacks.
Shokhin also complained about the frequent transfer of units guarding factories between different sites, despite the decision to use reservists, which he said weakens the defenses of enterprises.