Russia’s Central Bank is preparing to have some of its employees undergo firearms training, public procurement records appear to show, coming after previous failed attempts to allow senior officials to carry pistols and submachine guns.
A tender posted on Tuesday shows the bank contracting for shooting lessons with automatic weapons at licensed ranges in or near Moscow. The contractor must provide the facilities, weapons, ammunition and certified instructors, and it is required to destroy all information related to the contract once it is completed.
The bank did not specify which employees would participate or when the training would begin. The tender was reportedly completed on Friday.
Russia’s Central Bank has sought to beef up its security since last year, when it requested permission for deputy governors and senior officials to carry firearms, including Makarov pistols and submachine guns.
A bank spokesperson said at the time that the proposed measures were to ensure the safety of bank staff and assets in occupied Ukraine.
The government ultimately limited the right to carry weapons to existing security personnel.
In February, a Moscow court fined the bank after National Guard inspectors found two pistols improperly stored in a bank security building.
The Central Bank has not commented on the contracted firearms training program.
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