“Gazprom army” in the pipeline
A group of State Duma deputies proposes to give the state-controlled companies Gazprom and Transneft the right to form special armed units. The main task of the new oil military will be to protect production facilities and transport infrastructure. If adopted by the parliament, Gazprom and Transneft officials will be allowed to use weapons and arms for self-protection and for the execution of “service obligations”.
The oil industry will not be the first sector with its own army. As many as 16 federal agencies are already allowed to have their own military units, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports. In addition, there are more than 20,000 private security structures operating in Russia.
The State Duma proposal is signed by deputies from five parliament factions. If approved, the proposal will give Gazprom and Transneft the right to single-handedly guard production and processing sites, transport facilities, as well as “other objects” of special importance.
The exact authorities of the armed units will have to be approved by Russian interior authorities and by the FSB
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