President Vladimir Putin has signed a new decree empowering the Russian government to seize temporary control of critical infrastructure facilities that are deemed insufficiently protected from external attacks. This legislative move targets a broad range of sectors, including energy, nuclear power, communications, transport, logistics, and public utilities, all of which are considered vital to national security and economic stability. Under the new mandate, ownership powers will be transferred to the Federal Agency for State Property Management or another designated state body. These authorities will be tasked with overseeing site safety and conducting comprehensive asset inventories.
The policy shift follows an intensification of Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign, which has increasingly targeted Russian industrial and logistical hubs. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the conflict has evolved from a bogged-down front line in eastern Ukraine into a war of attrition defined by frequent drone and missile strikes. Kyiv’s strategy of hitting energy infrastructure has successfully disrupted fuel supplies, fueling public discontent and straining an economy already burdened by nearly five years of international sanctions.
Recent strikes have caused significant operational disruptions across the country. On Monday, Ozon, Russia’s second-largest online retailer, confirmed that four of its southern logistics hubs were struck. Furthermore, industry sources informed Reuters that the Perm oil refinery was forced to halt operations. This facility, a critical processing plant, has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drones in recent months. A strike last week damaged essential processing units, with repairs expected to take up to two weeks, further exacerbating fuel shortages in several regions.
The impact of these strikes extends to the retail sector as well. Kyiv has successfully hit at least two dozen warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer. These attacks have destroyed a substantial portion of the company’s storage capacity and resulted in billions of dollars in damages to enterprises across the nation.