The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs has demanded amendments to President Vladimir Putin's decree allowing state takeovers of critical national infrastructure.
RSPP head Vladimir Shohin said Decree No 604, which permits the government to place critical facilities under state management indefinitely, requires clear enforcement rules and financial guarantees for business owners. The lobby group published its formal statement on its website on August 25, 2026.
Under the decree, the government may take control of sites if an operating company fails to maintain or restore them in a timely manner. However, Shohin warned that key legal terms remain undefined, including what constitutes the untimely restoration of an asset given the varying scale of potential destruction and the specific type of facility involved.
The business association also highlighted a lack of clarity regarding the legal and financial accountability of government-appointed temporary managers. Shohin stated that state administrators must bear financial responsibility for facility security and operational outcomes, suggesting that such liabilities should be backed by compulsory insurance mechanisms.
Drone protection investments
To minimize the forced transfer of private property into state control, the RSPP called for targeted government support measures for companies that have already invested in protecting their facilities from drone attacks. Shohin added that federal support should also extend to domestic manufacturers producing drone defence equipment.
The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs is Russia's primary business lobby group, representing major state-owned enterprises, private industrial conglomerates, and financial institutions across the country. Critical infrastructure typically encompasses vital national assets, including power stations, energy pipelines, transport networks, and communication systems essential to public safety and economic stability.
Affected sectors and parliamentary response
Decree No 604 does not contain an explicit list of individual facilities subject to takeover. Instead, its provisions apply broadly to enterprises in the fuel and energy complex, manufacturing, telecommunications, public utilities, transport, and logistics, as well as other assets considered vital for national security.
Artem Kiryanov, deputy chairman of the Economic Policy Committee in the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, stated that the decree requires property owners to secure their installations at their own expense. Kiryanov noted that if owners fail to provide adequate protection, state authorities will assume management of the facility and allocate the company's funds to carry out necessary security measures.
The RSPP is urging government officials to refine the legal framework of Decree No 604 to protect private property rights before state intervention mechanisms are formally implemented against non-compliant operators.
