The Russian government has told top banks including its federal reserve that they should shoot down Ukrainian drones themselves, as well as handling the costs. It comes as Moscow struggles to defend key sites on its vast territory against Ukrainian attacks that have forced Russia to cluster its air defence in some areas, including Moscow, leaving it spread extremely thin or nonexistent elsewhere. Kyiv\u2019s forces have targeted infrastructure and equipment within Russia used to either carry out or fund the war \u2013 from ships, planes and airfields to oil refineries, depots and pipelines, natural gas networks and factories that make military electronics and explosives.<\/p>\n
Reuters reports that the Russian parliament has passed a law allowing the banks including Russia\u2019s biggest, Sberbank, and other financial institutions to operate defence systems and arm staff against drones without special forces involvement. They would handle the cost themselves, Anatoly Aksakov, the head of the State Duma\u2019s financial committee, was quoted as saying by the RBC news outlet. Alexander Shokhin, head of Russia\u2019s most powerful business lobby, on Monday told Vladimir Putin that companies were prepared to buy heavier weapons and electronic systems to defend themselves against drone attacks.<\/p>\n
Almost 50 countries at the United Nations have condemned what they said were \u201cthreats by Russia to diplomatic institutions and embassies in Kyiv\u201d. \u201cThis is something which we cannot accept,\u201d said a joint statement signed by European countries, Japan, South Korea and others. The EU also lashed out, saying it had no plans to move its staff. Germany and Norway summoned Russia\u2019s ambassadors to deliver reprimands.<\/p>\n