Moscow plans to use trained reservists to protect vital energy and civilian infrastructure as drone strikes deepen inside Russia
Russia is calling up reservists to defend key oil refineries and infrastructure after a surge in Ukrainian drone attacks has struck targets deep inside its territory. The move, announced by Russia’s top military command, reflects growing concern over the country’s vulnerability far from the front lines of the war in Ukraine.
Vice Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky, deputy head of the General Staff’s organizational and mobilization directorate, said the new measures would involve “the most trained and patriotic citizens” to help protect civilian facilities across Russia. The goal, he added, is to secure critical national infrastructure and reduce the risks posed by long-range drone strikes that have increasingly reached oil sites and residential areas.
President Vladimir Putin has already ordered the expansion of Russia’s regular army to 1.5 million active servicemen, making it the second-largest military in the world after China’s. Currently, around 700,000 Russian troops are believed to be engaged in Ukraine, while roughly 2 million men remain in the active reserve—trained soldiers who have signed contracts but are not in regular service.
According to Tsimlyansky, the new plan does not represent a new wave of mobilization. Instead, it allows reservists to serve locally, in their own regions, without being deployed to Ukraine or beyond Russia’s borders.
Military analysts suggest that by assigning reservists to protect refineries, pipelines, and energy hubs, the Kremlin could free up frontline troops for the ongoing war effort. As Ukraine’s drone campaign continues to target energy and logistics networks, the move highlights Moscow’s determination to defend its oil infrastructure—a crucial pillar of Russia’s economy and global influence.