MOSCOW, 25 August, 2026(Nosheen): Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing the state to temporarily take control of critical infrastructure facilities if private owners fail to adequately protect them from Ukrainian drone attacks or rebuild them after strikes.The decree, issued Monday, comes as Russia faces growing economic pressure and public frustration following months of intensified Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries, warehouses and other key infrastructure. The measure applies to a wide range of facilities, including energy, industrial, communications, transportation and logistics infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that some business owners were not paying sufficient attention to anti-drone security measures. “Given the threat to vital economic infrastructure, we must take measures and ensure our own safety,” Peskov said. Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said the decree did not amount to nationalization or a change in ownership. Instead, he said, it would allow the state to become involved in managing an enterprise to address specific security problems.Manturov stressed that the measure was not intended for widespread use and that decisions would be made selectively at the highest level.The move followed fresh Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities. Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck facilities at the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight, causing a fire. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev also reported a fire at an oil refinery in Afipsky.A separate Ukrainian drone attack damaged the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region and forced it to halt operations, according to Rostov Governor Yuri Slyusar.

Ukraine’s General Staff said the Afipsky refinery had been targeted for the eighth time in a year, while Novoshakhtinsk had been targeted for the fourth time during the same period. Russian political analyst Abbas Gallyamov said the decree could be aimed at pressuring owners of repeatedly damaged refineries to invest in reconstruction. He suggested that companies may be reluctant to spend billions of dollars rebuilding facilities that could be targeted again. According to Gallyamov, the government was effectively warning owners that failure to finance repairs could result in the state taking control of their facilities. Russia’s businesses are also facing broader economic difficulties as the war continues. The government has raised taxes and increased domestic borrowing to manage its budget deficit, while the potential state takeover of major companies could provide additional revenue. However, taking control of damaged infrastructure could also create a significant financial burden for the government. The decree may instead be intended to pressure private companies to assume greater responsibility for protecting their facilities against drone attacks. The Russian government has also offered additional assistance to online retailer Wildberries and businesses operating through its platform after repeated Ukrainian strikes damaged warehouses. The Finance Ministry has proposed extending tax and insurance payment deadlines for the company and its sellers. Putin said Saturday that Russia must strengthen its air-defense capabilities and improve coordination between defense, law-enforcement and civilian agencies. In May, Russian lawmakers approved legislation allowing major financial institutions, including the Central Bank and state-controlled Sberbank, to install air-defense systems at their facilities to protect against drone attacks. The latest decree represents another step by Moscow to increase the protection of critical economic infrastructure as Ukrainian drone attacks continue to disrupt Russian facilities far from the front line.