"Bars NN" is a volunteer detachment operating in Nizhny Novgorod Region and brought in to repel attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles alongside forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Rosgvardia (National Guard).
Participation in repelling drone attacks (August 2026)
During a series of drone attacks on Nizhny Novgorod Region in August 2026, the detachment's fighters were repeatedly named among the forces involved in intercepting drones. On August 12, 2026, when 11 drones were shot down over the region, Governor Gleb Nikitin reported that the raid had been repelled, among others, by fighters of the "Bars-NN" detachment, alongside air defense and electronic warfare forces.
On August 16, 2026, after a strike on Dzerzhinsk, the city's mayor, Mikhail Klinkov, expressed gratitude to the fighters of the "BARS-NN" detachment, as well as to Ministry of Emergency Situations personnel, police, medical workers, and municipal services who took part in dealing with the aftermath. On October 9, 2026, a serviceman of the "Bars-NN" detachment was killed while repelling a drone attack on Nizhny Novgorod Region — the first combat loss in the detachment's ranks; Governor Gleb Nikitin called it the "first grave loss" among the fighters and thanked the entire detachment for carrying out its duty. The fallen serviceman is survived by his wife and two sons; Governor Gleb Nikitin stated that the family would be given all necessary assistance and support, and that the fallen serviceman would be accorded due honors.[1]
On the night of August 18–19, 2026, during the largest attack of the series, forces of the Ministry of Defense and the Rosgvardia and fighters of the "Bars NN" volunteer detachment intercepted and destroyed 52 drones over the region.
Combat veterans with fitness category "D" who were wounded during their service may join the "BARS NN" mobilization reserve, provided that their current state of health allows them to perform the duties of specific military positions; the contract is concluded for a term of three years, age restrictions have been lifted, and the final decision is made on the basis of a medical examination and the conclusion of the military medical commission (VVK). The decision to admit candidates with fitness category "D" followed an initiative voiced by war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin: a group of such volunteers had asked to be allowed to take part in protecting facilities from drones, and the president supported the initiative.[2] Age limits for joining the reserve differ by military rank: up to 55 for soldiers and sergeants, up to 60 for junior officers, up to 65 for senior officers, and up to 70 for the highest ranks; the minimum fitness category for enlistment is "B" ("limited fitness").[3] The "Bars NN" mobile fire groups stand watch not only at ground positions but also on the waters of Nizhny Novgorod Region: for this purpose a boat with a permanent crew is used — a captain-commander and a mobile fire group of four reservists, who head out to an assigned area when the alarm is raised, and the boat can change its position within the water area depending on the operational situation.
Service in the detachment's reserve does not involve being sent to the combat zone and takes place exclusively within Nizhny Novgorod Region; the contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense allows service to be combined with one's main civilian job, with reservists keeping their workplace and salary and being provided with modern equipment, free hot meals, life and health insurance, and medical care. Recruitment into the detachment is voluntary and conducted through military enlistment offices at the place of residence; it involves passing, in sequence, a medical commission, professional psychological screening, and the military unit's certification commission, followed by the signing of a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense.[3] During special training periods, "Bars NN" reservists receive, in addition to their retained average monthly salary at their main place of work, military pay from the Russian Ministry of Defense — from 20,000 rubles and up depending on military position and rank — as well as a regional payment of 50,000 rubles per month, established by a decree of the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region.
For reservists' children, free kindergarten, school meals, sports clubs, after-school groups, discounted vouchers to camps and sanatoriums in Nizhny Novgorod Region, and priority rights to transfer a child to a school near home are provided; the reservist's entire family is guaranteed priority free medical care under the Nizhny Novgorod Region Program of State Guarantees of Free Medical Care for the Population. "Bars NN" has announced recruitment of 40 specialists to be trained as FPV drone operators: training will last a month and a half, after which the reservists will be assigned to tasks within groups; the term of service in this track is six months, with pay starting at 200,000 rubles per month; candidates under 30 are preferred, but older candidates with the relevant skills are also considered. By March 2026, the first groups of "BARS-NN" reservists had completed their special training and combat duty and returned to their main civilian jobs; according to participants, the experience gained in commanding fire groups and acting on alert proved applicable in their everyday professional work.[4][5][6]
The abbreviation "BARS" stands for "Combat Army Reserve of the Country" (Boevoy armeyskiy rezerv strany); the "BARS-NN" unit was created to provide additional protection for critically important industrial infrastructure facilities and to counter drone threats, and its structure is built around mobile fire groups that intercept low-altitude, low-speed drones.[2]
Chronicle of events
Details of each event are in the article about it; here are the dates and gist.
- — Residents of Nizhny Novgorod have raised approximately 755,000 rubles for the family of a Bars-NN fighter who was killed while repelling a drone attack.[7]
Sources
- Vremya N — On October 9, 2026, a serviceman of the "Bars-NN" unit was killed while repelling a drone attack on Nizhny Novgorod Region — the unit's first combat loss. Gov (archive)
- Kommersant (Volga Region) — The abbreviation "BARS" stands for "Combat Army Reserve of the Country"; the "BARS-NN" unit was created to provide additional protection for critically important industrial facilities (archive)
- GTRK "Nizhny Novgorod" (Vesti) — Age limits for joining the reserve differ by military rank: for soldiers and sergeants, up to 55 years; for junior officers, up to 6 (archive)
- Vremya N — By March 2026, the first groups of "BARS-NN" reservists had completed special training and combat duty and returned to their regular civilian jobs; according to participants (archive)
- Vremya N — The "Bars NN" mobile fire groups stand watch not only at ground positions but also on the waters of Nizhny Novgorod Region. For this purpose, a boat with a permanent (archive)
- Zhivyom v Nizhnem — Combat veterans with fitness category "D" who were wounded during service may join the "BARS NN" mobilization reserve — provided that their (archive)
- Zhivyom v Nizhnem — During one of the drone raids on Nizhny Novgorod Region in August 2026, the "Bars-NN" unit suffered its first combat loss: from falling debris of a downed drone
- Otkrytyy Nizhny — During one of the drone attacks on Nizhny Novgorod Region, a fighter of the "BARS-NN" unit was killed in the line of duty. Governor Gleb Nikitin reported that the deceased had
- TASS — In September 2026, the unit announced that citizens with fitness category "D" — that is, those deemed unfit for military service — could sign a three-year contract