Russian state agencies spent 17 billion rubles on drone defense

Russian state agencies have spent a total of 17 billion rubles on drone defense since the onset of the full-scale war, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe's analysis of procurement data. The primary focus of these efforts is safeguarding infrastructure that supplies essential utilities like electricity, heat, and water to Russian households.

Rosseti, a state-owned company responsible for Russia's power transmission lines, emerged as the biggest spender in this area, investing over three billion rubles in anti-drone systems. Another significant purchaser was Mosvodokanal, with expenditures totaling 1.7 billion rubles, followed by Inter RAO, another energy company, which spent 1.3 billion rubles.

Protecting civilian airports from drone threats has also been a priority, with major buyers including Sheremetyevo Airport and the State Air Traffic Management Corporation. Even in remote regions, such as Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport, significant funds were allocated, amounting to about 300 million rubles for anti-drone equipment. In response to the escalating threat, President Putin signed a decree in late August that permits temporary management of critical infrastructure facilities that fail to adequately protect themselves against security risks, including Ukrainian drone attacks.

The agency responsible for this oversight could be Rosimushchestvo, the Federal Agency for State Property Management, or another entity designated by the government.