Russia seeks reservists

Moscow (dpa) — Authorities in the region around Russia’s northern city of St Petersburg are calling on reservists to sign air defence contracts amid increasing Ukrainian drone attacks.

The decision was made to station additional mobile teams on the premises of companies and critical infrastructure in the Leningrad region, Governor Alexander Drozdenko wrote on Telegram on Friday.

Drozdenko said residents with military experience would be eligible to sign three-year contracts, which would include service in a barracks extending from two to six months.

Last October, the Russian daily Kommersant reported on the deployment of the first reservist unit to defend against Ukrainian drones in the Leningrad region, which borders Finland and Estonia.

Russia seeks reservists

At the same time, the Russian parliament fast-tracked a law to legalize this new model for the protection of strategically important sites by reservists.

With Western support, Ukraine has been defending itself against a large-scale Russian invasion for more than four years.

As part of its strategy against Russia, Ukraine repeatedly attacks the Russian oil industry, which is crucial for Moscow’s war financing.

The Baltic oil ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga and the large Kirishi refinery
in the Leningrad region – located up to 1,000 kilometres from Ukraine – were frequently targeted in Ukrainian drone attacks.

St Petersburg Airport was also repeatedly forced to temporarily suspend operations.