At least 20 regions in Russia have started to enlist military reservists to protect key infrastructure under new legislation permitting the military to utilize them during peacetime, as reported by the business newspaper Kommersant on Monday.
Last Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin sanctioned the mobilization of reservists known as BARS for “special training” aimed at safeguarding “critical and other life-sustaining facilities,” including defense against drone threats.
Experts indicated to The Moscow Times that the Kremlin seems to be aiming to discreetly increase its military personnel without initiating a fresh wave of mobilization, given the backlash against its “partial” mobilization announced in September 2022. The General Staff of Russia has clarified that these reservists will not be deployed to fight in Ukraine.
The regions establishing reservist units to counter drone attacks are spread across western and central Russia, with the Krasnoyarsk region being the only eastern area identified in a map shared by Kommersant.
Officials in the republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan are reportedly setting up specialized units dedicated to defending local oil refineries and petrochemical facilities from drone strikes.
Reservist units known as BARS were previously established in 2024 in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions near the Ukrainian border. According to the new law, Bryansk and Kursk are expected to create additional groups to help prevent sabotage and support emergency evacuations, while Belgorod is likely to retain its current troop levels.
While the legislation does not specify that reservists will remain in their home regions, Kommersant notes that such geographical restrictions will be detailed in their contracts.
A draft government decree released last Friday permits reservists to be called up for training sessions lasting up to six months each year, according to the newspaper.
Throughout their service, reservists will hold full military status and receive compensation and benefits similar to those of active-duty personnel.
This recruitment initiative represents the first significant peacetime engagement of reservists since Russia commenced its so-called “special military operation” against Ukraine in 2022.
