The Russian government is halting funding for equipping civilian airports with technical systems to detect and counter drones.
Adjustments to the national project "Unmanned Aviation Systems" (UAS) will reflect this decision, potentially reducing the budget from $8.7 billion to $6.9 billion.
From 2024 to 2028, the government had planned to allocate over $107 million to equip 31 civilian airports with anti-drone systems. Currently, some Russian airfields are equipped with drone detection and identification systems funded by private organizations. However, Russia lacks clear guidelines on when airports should handle threats independently or rely on protection from the Ministry of Defense or other security agencies.
Moscow's decision to cut budget expenditures reflects an attempt to optimize the federal budget amid deepening deficits and external constraints.
Given the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, the cessation of funding for civilian airport protection is expected to severely impact Russia's aviation industry and the overall safety of civil aviation flights.
