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Novaya Gazeta Europe analyzed public procurement data and found Russian companies spent a total of 17 billion rubles on anti-drone equipment since the start of the full-scale war. The largest buyers included power-grid operator Rosseti and water utility Mosvodokanal, while airports were also among the prominent purchasers.
Russian companies have spent 17 billion rubles on anti-drone equipment since the start of the full-scale war, according to an analysis of state procurement data by Novaya Gazeta Europe. The purchases are concentrated among operators of essential infrastructure, including electricity and water services, and also include airports, reflecting efforts to protect civilian facilities from drone attacks.
Rosseti, the state-owned operator of Russia’s power transmission lines, was the largest buyer identified in the analysis. Rosseti and its subsidiaries spent more than 3 billion rubles on anti-drone equipment. Water utility Mosvodokanal ranked second, with spending of 1.7 billion rubles, while energy company Inter RAO spent 1.3 billion rubles.
The analysis also identified civilian airports and air-traffic institutions among the major purchasers. Sheremetyevo Airport and the State Air Traffic Management Corporation were listed as large buyers. Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that hundreds of millions of rubles are being spent on airport protection even in regions far from Ukraine. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport, for example, bought anti-drone equipment for about 300 million rubles.
The reported total covers purchases by Russian companies since the war began, but the available account does not provide a year-by-year breakdown or a full list of contracts. The figures describe procurement spending, not necessarily equipment already installed, operational, or successful in stopping drones.
Essential Services Lead Defense Spending
The spending pattern points to electricity, heat, and water infrastructure as a central focus of Russian anti-drone procurement. Disruption to these services could affect households and businesses, so purchases by grid operators and utilities have implications beyond the companies themselves. The data show where major buyers have directed funds, though they do not establish how much protection the equipment provides.
Airport purchases also show that drone defense is not limited to sites close to Ukraine. The reported 300 million-ruble purchase in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, on Sakhalin Island, is an example of spending in a distant region. The figures offer a measure of the procurement response, while leaving open whether spending is concentrated in a few large contracts or distributed more widely.
For readers, the total is a concrete indicator of the financial response to perceived security risks around civilian infrastructure. It is not a measure of the overall cost of the war or a complete accounting of Russian defense spending: the report concerns anti-drone purchases identified through procurement data.
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Decree Adds State Oversight Powers
The procurement analysis comes amid government attention to the protection of critical infrastructure. At the end of August, Russia’s president signed a decree allowing temporary management to be imposed on critical infrastructure facilities if their owners fail to protect them from security threats, including Ukrainian drone attacks.
Under the decree, the temporary administrator would be Rosimushchestvo, the Federal Agency for State Property Management, or another entity selected by the government. The decree establishes a potential state intervention mechanism; the supplied reporting does not say whether it has been used or connect it to any of the contracts in the spending analysis.
Novaya Gazeta Europe’s figures are based on state procurement data and concern spending by companies, including state-owned operators. They provide a snapshot of identified purchases rather than a government-wide budget total. The report does not describe the technical specifications of the systems or set out a common definition of which equipment was counted as anti-drone defense.
“Russian companies have spent a total of 17 billion rubles on drone defense since the start of the full-scale war.”
— Novaya Gazeta Europe
Procurement Does Not Show Effectiveness
The report gives an aggregate figure, but the supplied information does not specify the exact contracts, spending dates, or annual totals behind the 17 billion rubles. It is also unclear whether the figure includes every relevant purchase by Russian companies or only contracts that could be identified in the procurement data reviewed.
The published figures do not establish whether equipment has been delivered and deployed, how well it performs, or how much of the spending is for detection, disruption, physical protection, or other measures. The report also does not identify the full range of buyers or provide a complete account of spending by regional and federal authorities. No information in the source material confirms whether the temporary-management decree has been applied to any facility.
More Detail Needed on Contracts
The next useful details would be a contract-level breakdown of the purchases, including their dates, equipment types, locations, and delivery status. That would help clarify how the reported 17 billion rubles was distributed and whether procurement has accelerated or slowed over time. The source material does not announce a forthcoming release or give a timetable for further data.
Any future reporting on the presidential decree could also establish whether the government has appointed temporary managers at facilities judged inadequately protected. Until such information is available, the confirmed picture is limited to the procurement analysis, the named buyers and reported sums, and the decree’s stated authority.
Key Questions
How much have Russian companies spent on drone defense?
Novaya Gazeta Europe’s analysis of state procurement data put spending at 17 billion rubles since the start of the full-scale war.
Which company spent the most?
Rosseti and its subsidiaries were the largest buyers identified, spending more than 3 billion rubles on anti-drone equipment.
Which other buyers were named?
Mosvodokanal spent 1.7 billion rubles and Inter RAO spent 1.3 billion rubles. Sheremetyevo Airport and the State Air Traffic Management Corporation were also listed among major buyers.
Does the total show that the equipment is working?
No. The reported total concerns procurement spending. The available report does not establish how much equipment has been installed or how effective it has been against drones.
What does the August decree allow?
It allows temporary management of critical infrastructure facilities whose owners fail to protect them from security threats, including drone attacks. The source material does not say whether the mechanism has been used.
Source: meduza.io
