Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree on the procedure for using weapons to protect the air border. According to the text of the document, the military does not have the right to open fire to kill if there is information about the presence of passengers on board.
The procedure established by the government is as follows: if an unidentified aircraft approaches a distance of 50 km from the Russian border (100 km, if we are talking about the Southern and Eastern military districts), then the duty forces are alerted No. 1 - planes and helicopters take off, are carried out Attempts to contact the intruder’s crew.
If this does not work out, then Russian helicopters and aircraft will approach this ship and try to establish a direct visual connection with it. After that, using signs accepted by the international community, they will signal to him about the need to leave the airspace of the Russian Federation.
If we are talking about a military aircraft equipped with weapons, then if the crew refuses to comply with the orders of the Russian side, they will try to force him to land or to be escorted outside the Russian Federation. However, if the crew ignores this, the Russian military is allowed to open fire to kill.
In the case of civilian or military transport aircraft and helicopters not equipped with weapons, similar conditions apply. However, in relation to such sides, weapons can only be used if there is information about the absence of passengers on board.
The same rules apply to Russian planes and helicopters that have been hijacked - you can open fire on them if, according to available information, there are no hostages inside.
At the same time, the Russian airborne forces, if they find themselves in a situation where it is necessary to open fire, must first warn of an attack using radio or visual commands, as well as firing a warning shot. If the airborne forces cannot open fire on the intruder, then air defense systems will do this.
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“The specified procedure for the use of weapons and military equipment also applies to unmanned aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems that violate the state border, unless other measures to prevent violations are provided for by international treaties of the Russian Federation,” the document says.
However, another procedure is provided. So, if an aircraft violated the Russian border due to unintended emergency, for example, a natural disaster or accident, it will be helped to restore course and fly out of the Russian Federation, or provide an airfield for landing.
The previous procedure for using weapons to protect the air border was adopted in 1994. He replaced the Soviet one, adopted in 1961. According to Russian law, airspace means a stretch of sky above the territory of the Russian Federation, inland waters and the territorial sea.
The new document spelled out on-duty facilities. So, these include radioengineering (radar) forces and means, conducting reconnaissance and control of the air border, anti-aircraft missile forces and means, ships and boats, electronic warfare installations and control bodies.
Also added to the new document is the specifics on when duty forces should be alerted No. 1 - when the aircraft approaches the Russian border 50 km or less, and also when it is suddenly discovered on the territory of Russia, in a 150-kilometer strip from the border.
According to state statistics for 2013 - 2015, air vehicles used the Russian space without a permit on average about 100 times a year.
At the same time, foreign military aircraft regularly approach the Russian air border. In this regard, the Russian Federation sends its aircraft to escort these aircraft. So, in the week of February 14-21, 22 foreign reconnaissance aircraft and 8 UAVs approached the Russian border, the official newspaper of the Ministry of Defense Krasnaya Zvezda reports. At the same time, the Russian Aerospace Forces did not commit a single violation of airspace - Russian planes took off twice.