Russian Refinery Seeks Air Defense Operators Amid Escalating Drone Strikes

Rosneft’s Kuibyshev Oil Refinery in Russia’s Samara region has begun advertising vacancies for personnel with experience operating combat vehicles to help defend against Ukrainian drones. The refinery, one of the largest oil refineries in the Volga region, has been repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian drones. Postings for the positions appeared on the HeadHunter recruiting portal on Thursday, Oct. 8, according to a report by Verstka. The requirement is for individuals who have operated the ZSU-34-23-4 “Shilka” self-propelled anti-aircraft gun or the BMP-2 “Berezhok” armored vehicle.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. According to the report, successful candidates would need approval from the Russian defense ministry and would be required to sign a contract to join Russia’s mobilization reserve. The job advertisement states that recruits will undergo refresher training and take part in combat-readiness exercises as part of their duties. Those selected would become part of duty crews and be accommodated in a “barrack-like setting.” Duties would include “protection of defense industry facilities” against aerial targets and the “maintenance needed to retain the operational condition” of the assigned combat vehicles. The work location was listed as 25 Groznenskaya Street – the location of the refinery. According to the advertisement, the refinery would pay a monthly salary of up to 120,000 rubles ($1,400). That amount would be supplemented by an additional 100,000 rubles ($1,200) from the governor of Samara and 29,000 rubles ($340) from the Ministry of Defense, depending on the position filled (commander, driver, or operator). Along with barracks-style accommodation, those selected would receive three meals a day, along with mandatory health and life insurance. Other Topics of Interest Austria Releases Ukrainian Investigative Journalist Mykhailo Tkach After Detention in Vienna The two journalists had been hunting for a sacked Ukrainian official in hiding who is wanted for corruption, when Vienna law enforcers picked them up. As of publication, the postings have been removed from the recruitment website and replaced with a message that says, “the employer has likely already found the right candidate and is no longer accepting applications for this position.” Since Kyiv intensified its campaign against Russia’s oil-refining infrastructure, facilities have employed a range of countermeasures, including anti-drone netting and protective fencing around processing equipment and storage tanks, as well as “barrage balloons” fitted with trailing steel cables. However, such efforts have been relatively unsuccessful. The potential use of military weapons indicates the increasing desperation of the Kremlin to protect these critical resources. In May, Russia’s RBC media outlet reported that approval had been granted by Moscow for private companies to purchase weapons and equipment to defend against Ukrainian drone attacks. This could include anti-aircraft guns, turrets, vehicles, radar, and certain electronic warfare systems. The defense ministry was also developing a mechanism to transfer some of that equipment from military stockpiles, as per the publication. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.