Protecting energy and transport sectors: government has expanded powers of State Special Transport Service
The State Special Transport Service of the Ministry of Defense (SSTS) has been designated as the contracting authority for critical infrastructure protection projects.
According to Censor.NET, this is stated in a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a resolution amending the Procedure for Implementing the Pilot Project on the protection of critical infrastructure facilities.
According to the decision, the State Special Transport Service will act as the contracting authority for new construction, reconstruction, major repairs, maintenance, and other engineering and technical measures aimed at protecting infrastructure.
The resolution covers the protection of strategically important facilities in the following areas:
- the fuel and energy sector;
- the railway transport subsector (of the transport and postal services sector);
- the critical infrastructure life support systems sector.
The adopted amendments not only confirm the State Special Transport Service’s status as a contracting authority but also grant it the right to directly engage its units in construction and repair work in the regions (based on a relevant decision by the Ministry of Defense).
As noted, this decision will significantly streamline the construction of protective structures, speed up the completion of engineering work, and ensure reliable protection for the facilities on which the country’s vital functions depend in wartime.
The decision by the client to designate the SSTS is a logical extension of the President of Ukraine’s strategy to establish layered protection for critical infrastructure and to involve specialized military units in the rapid restoration of strategic facilities.
As a reminder, the State Special Transport Service, acting on instructions from the Ministry of Defense, is deploying more than 25 km of anti-drone barriers along key routes in the Donetsk region.
