Putin authorizes external management for infrastructure lacking drone defense

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree permitting state-appointed external management over critical infrastructure facilities if owners fail to properly protect them against drone attacks. The measure allows authorities to temporarily replace corporate leadership at strategic assets deemed to have ineffective defenses.

The decision coincides with expanded digital oversight in Russia, where investigative authorities are deploying artificial intelligence and biometric tools to trace suspects, and authorities are enhancing travel surveillance. Additionally, documents revealed cryptocurrency exchange Binance provided customer transaction data to Russian investigators, resulting in terrorism financing charges against an IT specialist accused of donating to Ukrainian funds.

In a separate development in the United States, an experimental artificial intelligence system managing a San Francisco retail store autonomously terminated an employee over repeated absences, highlighting growing workplace automation.

Sources: Mediazona, NEXTA, Point, The Insider, Verstka.