Ukraine war briefing: Shoot down drones yourself, Russia tells its banks

Russian authorities have instructed major banks to engage in drone defense themselves and to bear the costs. Moscow faces difficulty protecting key sites across its territory as Ukrainian attacks have forced Russian air defenses to concentrate in limited areas, leaving other regions thin or without coverage. Ukrainian strikes target infrastructure and equipment used to carry out or finance the war, including ships, planes, airfields, oil refineries, depots, pipelines, natural gas networks, and factories producing military electronics and explosives. Russia’s parliament passed a law allowing banks, including Sberbank and other institutions, to operate defense systems and arm staff against drones without special forces involvement. Russia also reported systematic strikes on Kyiv aimed at decision-making centers and urged diplomats and residents to avoid public buildings.

"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."

"Reuters reports that the Russian parliament has passed a law allowing the banks including Russia's 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's financial committee, was quoted as saying by the RBC news outlet."

"Kyiv's forces have targeted infrastructure and equipment within Russia used to either carry out or fund the war from ships, planes and airfields to oil refineries, depots and pipelines, natural gas networks and factories that make military electronics and explosives. Alexander Shokhin, head of Russia's 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."

"Almost 50 countries at the United Nations have condemned what they said were threats by Russia to diplomatic institutions and embassies in Kyiv. This is something which we cannot accept, 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's ambassadors to deliver reprimands."

Read at www.theguardian.com