Massive Soviet-era factories are highly vulnerable to drone strikes
The Russian industrial sector is unable to provide reliable air defense coverage for all its major facilities due to their immense scale. This was stated by Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine (Юлія Капітонова) citing TASS, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
According to the industry association leader, a critical security problem has emerged for facilities stretching across many kilometers. Many metallurgical and chemical plants were built according to Soviet standards that considered nuclear warfare scenarios but failed to account for modern mass drone raids.
Vulnerable Infrastructure
Alexander Shokhin explained that during the Soviet era, production sites and workshops were intentionally placed at significant distances from one another. This architectural strategy was meant to enhance production survivability in the event of a large-scale missile or nuclear strike, but it has now created excessively stretched communications that cannot be effectively shielded by air defense systems.
Ukrainian defense forces are systematically targeting critical assets deep inside russian territory. Their targets include not only oil refineries but also airfields, military industrial sites, chemical plants, and data processing centers.
Impact on Energy Sector
Due to effective drone strikes, operations at five oil refineries have been suspended within the last month alone. The list of affected facilities includes the Moscow Oil Refinery.
Against the backdrop of the industrial sector’s growing vulnerability, the russian government is resorting to drastic measures. In particular, Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing the state to seize enterprises and facilities that become targets for drone attacks.
Illustrative photo: kishjar? from Moscow, Russia / CC BY 2.0
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