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Russian authorities are fining defense industry enterprises for failing to meet mandatory recruitment quotas for civilian air defense units tasked with protecting factories from drone attacks, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
The agency said the measures illustrate how the Kremlin is shifting responsibility for protecting strategic facilities onto defense manufacturers as Ukrainian long-range strikes increasingly target Russia’s military-industrial infrastructure.
According to the intelligence service, several defense plants in Russia’s Kirov region—including Lepse, Selmash and Mayak—have been penalized for failing to establish the required civilian air defense detachments.
Regional authorities reportedly ordered the enterprises in late 2025 to form volunteer air defense units from among their own employees. However, the intelligence service said the companies struggled to recruit workers willing to take on air defense duties in addition to their regular jobs, resulting in fines for failing to meet staffing requirements.
The Lepse plant challenged the penalty in court, arguing that efforts to persuade employees to join the units had failed. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the court lifted the fine only after the company fulfilled the recruitment quota through compulsory enrollment.
Selmash also appealed its fine, claiming that forcing employees to join the units and imposing recruitment quotas was unlawful. The court reduced the penalty after the company reported that it had met the required staffing levels.
Meanwhile, the Mayak plant warned in court that such fines create financial risks and could disrupt fulfillment of Russia’s state defense procurement orders.
The Foreign Intelligence Service also said Russia’s Federal Tax Service has introduced tax incentives allowing businesses to deduct spending on anti-drone rifles and electronic warfare equipment from taxable profits. Equipment valued at more than 100,000 rubles can reportedly be depreciated as fixed assets.
According to the agency, the measures demonstrate that Russian authorities are increasingly transferring responsibility for protecting strategic facilities from the consequences of the war onto the enterprises themselves, while adding bureaucratic and financial pressure on companies already supporting the country’s defense industry.
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