Russia is having to recruit volunteers to prevent drone attacks on a military air base, it has emerged.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Kremlin has been forced into the move by a “shortage of trained personnel within Russia”.
According to the MoD’s latest intelligence update, the governor in Russia’s Pskov Oblast, close to the Estonian border, has organised “volunteer security patrols” to intercept so-called “uncrewed aerial vehicle” attacks on Kresty air base.
Around 800 civilians have reportedly signed up to join the patrols.
“The creation of these volunteer security patrols will likely act as a deterrence and provide a level of defence against quadcopter UAVs being operated from the immediate vicinity of the air base,” the MoD said.
They added: “The use of volunteers highly likely indicates a shortage of trained security personnel within Russia.”
It emerged last week that Russia is trying to recruit troops from neighbouring countries in an attempt to replace those injured or killed on the front line in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, thousands of Russian troops are being prosecuted for refusing to return to fight in Ukraine amid plummeting morale.
Russia is also failing to hit its army recruitment targets despite a massive rise in forces’ pay.
The country is estimated to have suffered more than 200,000 casualties so far in the Ukraine war.