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Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told parliament the moves
were driven by the need to support the military at a time when
Russia's economy was under "colossal sanctions pressure" from
the West, more than four months into what it calls its special
military operation in Ukraine.
"The load on the defence industry has increased significantly.
In order to guarantee the supply of weapons and ammunition, it
is necessary to optimize the work of the military-industrial
complex and enterprises that are part of cooperation chains," he
said.
One of the bills -- approved in a first reading by the State
Duma, the lower house of parliament -- said the state could
impose "special economic measures" during military operations,
requiring firms to supply goods and services to the military at
the demand of the Russian government.
An explanatory note attached to the bill said the military
needed new materials and weapons repairs to pursue its Ukraine
campaign.
"The need to promptly meet these requirements, especially in the
context of sanctions against Russia and Russian legal entities,
will require us to temporarily focus our efforts on certain
sectors of the economy (...) and organise the supply of
resources through state defence procurement," the note said.
A second bill, also adopted in its first reading, would amend
the labour code to grant the government the right to regulate
working hours and determine off-days at given companies.
This could mean the government could compel employees of
businesses providing goods to the military to work at night, on
weekends and holidays, and without annual leave.
Both bills were introduced to the State Duma by the Russian
government. They still need to undergo second and third
readings, be reviewed by the upper house of parliament and be
signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, William
Maclean)
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