Putin Expands State Control Following Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Infrastructure

Vladimir Putin has signed a decree authorizing the Russian government to temporarily place “critical infrastructure” facilities across the country under state administration if their private owners are unable to protect them from Ukraine’s increasingly frequent attacks.

The decision comes as Moscow and Kyiv have intensified their aerial offensives. Ukrainian strikes far from the front line, deep inside Russian territory, have caused fuel shortages and made the impact of the war more directly felt by ordinary Russian citizens.

Strategic facilities at the heart of the decree

The decree took effect on Monday and covers several sectors, including energy and fuel infrastructure, communications, transportation and logistics centers.

The document stipulates that the government may establish “temporary administration” when owners fail to implement necessary security measures or are unable to quickly restore operations at facilities following strikes.

Under this mechanism, the Russian state would take effective control of the property, ownership rights and shares of the companies involved.

According to the decree, the measure was introduced because of the “growing threats to the security of Russia’s critical infrastructure facilities.”

Kremlin criticizes owners’ measures

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that, in many cases, business owners were not giving security measures the necessary attention, particularly those related to protection against drones.

He also referred to the support Western countries provide to Ukraine, saying that Moscow must act to ensure its own security.

Asked which companies could be affected by the decree’s implementation, Peskov replied that the government and the relevant institutions would first assess the situation.

“When security measures are not taken in critical sectors, the relevant proposals will be submitted,” he said.

Kyiv intensifies strikes inside Russia

At the same time, Ukraine has stepped up attacks against targets located on Russian territory. In recent days, logistics centers belonging to e-commerce company Ozon, one of the rivals of the giant Wildberries, which had also been attacked previously, have been hit.

Through these operations, Kyiv aims to strike Russia’s logistics network and economy, which is increasingly being geared toward the demands of the war.

Meanwhile, Russia has continued to attack Ukraine with high-speed missiles, taking advantage of the shortage of U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles. These systems are one of the main pillars of Ukraine’s air defenses against ballistic missiles.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched two missiles and 150 drones at the country overnight. According to Ukrainian authorities, 124 of the drones were shot down.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Kyiv had secured a limited number of Patriot missiles but stressed that further supplies were needed.

“I received a small number of Patriot missiles. I cannot say how many, but there are only a few. We need more,” Zelensky said, according to Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform.

The shortage of Patriot interceptors has been further exacerbated by the global supply crisis, while demand for air defense systems has increased significantly.