Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 22, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
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Russia plans to deploy reservists to defend refineries amid rising Ukrainian drone attacks, freeing regular troops for combat.
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's army top brass said on Wednesday it would seek to use reservists to defend civilian infrastructure such as oil refineries after a sharp rise in Ukrainian drone attacks deep into Russia over recent months.
Amid a confrontation with the West over Russia's war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has ordered the size of the regular army to swell to 1.5 active servicemen, making it the second largest army in the world after China's.
Putin has said that at least 700,000 men are fighting in Ukraine and Russian lawmakers say there are about another 2 million men in the active reserve - those who have signed a reservist contract but do not usually actively serve.
Russian Vice Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky, deputy head of the General Staff's main organisational and mobilisation directorate, said Ukraine's use of long-range drones had increased the threat to critical national infrastructure and residential areas.
"To increase the security of critical facilities and other facilities important for the well-being of citizens, it was decided to involve the most trained and patriotic citizens in the implementation of measures to protect civilian facilities deep in Russia," he said.
If Russia deployed more reservists to the rear to defend infrastructure, Moscow could potentially free up more of its regular troops for the battlefield in what has become a deadly war of attrition.
Tsimlyansky said the proposed changes did not amount to some sort of mobilisation.
Russia's defence ministry was also explicit that the reservists would not be involved in what the Kremlin calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine and nor would they be used outside Russia's borders. The reservists would serve in their own region, according to the defence ministry.
(Reporting by Guy FaulconbridgeEditing by Andrew Osborn)
A reservist is a member of a military reserve force who is not in active service but can be called upon to serve when needed, especially during emergencies or conflicts.
Civilian infrastructure refers to the physical structures and facilities that support the functioning of a society, including roads, bridges, utilities, and buildings that are essential for everyday life.
A drone attack involves the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to carry out military strikes or surveillance operations, often targeting specific locations or individuals.
Military mobilization is the process of preparing and organizing military forces for active duty, which can include calling reservists to serve in response to a national emergency or conflict.
Critical national infrastructure includes essential systems and assets that are vital for the functioning of a country, such as energy, transportation, water supply, and communication networks.
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