August M
Industrial giants usually rely on the state for safety during wartime.
That old safety net is completely gone. Persistent threats from the sky are forcing corporate leaders to rethink their entire strategy, blurring the line between corporate security and military operations, reports United24Media.
Demanding heavy weapons
Russia’s wealthiest oligarchs are panicking over a relentless wave of aerial attacks. The top business lobby recently appealed directly to Vladimir Putin for advanced military gear to protect private factories.
The Moscow Times reported that Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, raised the issue during a Kremlin meeting. He explained that basic security guards can no longer handle the incoming danger.
“Large enterprises, of course, care about protecting their facilities and the territories where the companies are present. But some issues require regulation,” Shokhin told Putin, according to the Kremlin’s press service.
He requested laser defense systems.
Securing steady guards
“They are related to the mechanisms for providing weaponry, not just light weapons of 7.62 caliber, but also larger calibers. This includes various EW systems, laser installations, and other calibers,” Shokhin stated according to the news outlet.
The lobbyist also asked the Kremlin to lock down military reservists for factory defense. A recent law permits companies to use these specialized forces, but constant military reassignments disrupt daily operations.
“It often happens that these reservists are in one place today, and in another tomorrow. Just as they begin taking over an object, new tasks arise,” Shokhin complained.
This desperation stems from staggering financial damage. Russian oil firms lost an estimated 1 trillion rubles, or 11 billion dollars, last year after multiple refineries were disabled.
Facing the threat
Early this year, incoming unmanned aircraft threatened roughly twenty-five percent of the country. They routinely cross the Ural Mountains. These flying weapons easily blow up vital manufacturing hubs.
Government officials are reportedly furious. The national military cannot shield crucial domestic factories from these aerial bombardments. In response to the crisis, Putin recently purged his military brass and dismissed General Viktor Afzalov from his post overseeing air defenses.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian defense firms continue to scale up production. Fire Point recently upgraded its long-range platform to carry a massive 200-kilogram warhead designed to bypass jamming networks.
Chief designer Denys Shtilerman leads the engineering team at Fire Point. He pointed out that this cheap new flying weapon easily slips past enemy signals to deliver a truly devastating blow.
Sources: The Moscow Times, Kremlin press service, Fire Point
