Alexander Drozdenko, the governor of Russia’s Leningrad region, has announced an urgent initiative to recruit reservists to protect the region’s airspace from the growing threat of Ukrainian kamikaze drones. The Russian official, who recently went as far as openly calling his territory a “front-line region,” outlined the new security measures in a video address published on his official Telegram channel.
According to the governor, regional authorities are forming additional mobile fire groups to assist the 80 units already established in the area. To staff these new air defense crews, the Leningrad regional military commissariat will offer three-year contracts under a specialized reservist scheme. Drozdenko explicitly called upon residents with actual combat experience, veterans of the ongoing war against Ukraine, and retired military personnel who previously served in the Soviet or Russian armed forces to join the ranks.
The decision to militarize civilian infrastructure was formalized following a meeting of the regional operational headquarters, attended by federal officials, security forces, and the management of strategic industrial facilities. A unique aspect of this recruitment drive is its bureaucratic integration: the recruited reservists will be officially employed on the staff of the very enterprises and critical infrastructure companies they are assigned to protect. Furthermore, some units will be dispatched to reinforce the 6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army stationed in the region.
This desperate measure highlights a severe vulnerability in Russia’s deep rear. With advanced air defense systems largely deployed to occupied Ukrainian territories or protecting Moscow and government residences, vital industrial and export hubs in the Baltics have been left exposed. The creation of ad-hoc mobile fire groups—similar to tactics widely used in Ukraine but formed by Moscow out of sudden necessity—underscores the critical depletion of Russia’s regular anti-aircraft capabilities.
The urgency of the situation stems from a series of devastating strikes that occurred recently. In late March, the Ust-Luga port in the Leningrad region was targeted by multiple drone attacks. These precision strikes significantly disrupted the logistical chains of Russian oil exports, particularly affecting operations involving the so-called “shadow fleet” used by Moscow to circumvent international sanctions. Media reports indicated that the critical maritime port only managed to fully resume its transshipment operations weeks later, resulting in massive logistical and financial complications.
As the conflict stretches on, Russian officials are increasingly struggling to maintain the illusion of security for their citizens. Drozdenko recently advised residents to “grit their teeth” regarding the drone threat, reminding them that they are not yet surviving on ration cards. However, by turning civilian refinery workers into legitimate military targets and placing fire groups directly at industrial sites, local authorities are bringing the undeniable realities of the war closer to the Russian populace.