According to the bill adopted on Tuesday in the third and final reading, banks would cover the costs of installing electronic jamming systems in their premises, and selected employees would also shoot down incoming drones.
The bill, which according to the state news agency “Interfax” was first introduced last August and later had its scope expanded, still needs to be approved by the upper house – the Federation Council, and must be signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin before coming into force.
Russia finds it difficult to defend itself
Russia is finding it increasingly difficult to protect its vast territory from more frequent and complex long-range drone attacks from Ukraine. According to Western analysts and officials, smaller drones also disrupt Russian troops along the 1,250 km long front line and interfere with the supply lines of the invading Russian army.
It is not known that Russian banks have been a primary target of Ukrainian drones during the past several years of war since Moscow’s invasion.
The bill contains few details, raising many questions about how such a project would operate.
Widespread equipment deployment and employee training to use it would require enormous organizational efforts.
Many banks in Russia
The plan includes the Central Bank of Russia and other top institutions, including the state-owned “Sberbank.” Since banks are present in almost every city, their involvement in air defense could help expand Russia’s protection.
As V. Putin seeks to distance Russians from the realities of war, this step could undermine his efforts, as ordinary citizens would be drawn into the war and the consequences of the invasion would become more visible.
According to the law adopted by the Duma in the second and third readings, bank employees may jam or take over drone control signals, as well as damage or destroy unmanned aerial, underwater, and ground vehicles threatening their facilities, without waiting for security services to respond.
“Jamming will be used to complicate (drone) targeting and attacks against relevant targets,” Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the State Duma Financial Markets Committee, told the Russian media outlet RBK.
“In addition, we will also use means to shoot down these drones, thereby protecting the relevant targets,” he said.
Each organization will determine which employees have the right to apply these measures.
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