15 June 2026
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations published a report on the “state of protection of the population and territories of the Russian Federation from natural and man-made emergencies,” which found that at the end of last year, the fire service was short of more than 203,000 personnel. Important Stories drew attention to the agency’s report.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Federal Fire Service (FFS) had a staff of 386,830 by the end of 2025. Previously, in February 2026, the head of the ministry, Alexander Kurenkov, reported that the FFS, the main part of the Ministry of Emergency Situations responsible for firefighting and emergency rescue operations nationwide, was understaffed by 34.5%, but did not provide absolute figures. Based on new data from the departmental report, the fire service should exceed 590,000 personnel.
Moreover, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Federal Fire Service had 394,750 employees in 2024—almost 4,000 more than in 2025. There has also been a reduction in the vehicle fleet: while in 2024, the Federal Fire Service’s response units had almost 64,100 vehicles, by the end of last year, according to the report, this figure had fallen to 62,900.
The personnel shortage in the Ministry of Emergency Situations due to low salaries is most acute in Udmurtia, where the shortage reaches 35% of the total staff (over 3,100 people). Tula Oblast is next with a shortage of 30% of firefighters (2,000 people). The Magadan Oblast requires an additional 335 firefighters (a 27% shortage), while the Vladimir Oblast requires over 1,100 (26%). In Moscow, according to Kurenkov, the personnel shortage was 26% (approximately 6,400 employees). The Ministry of Emergency Situations also notes that units in the occupied territories of Ukraine are understaffed (from 20% to 51%).
Due to a staffing shortage in the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which authorities aim to address by recruiting conscripts into the Federal Fire Service, entire communities are left without fire protection, according to the report. By the end of 2025, authorities were unable to provide protection from emergencies and fires in 10,600 communities. In recent years, the number of communities without fire protection has gradually decreased, but approximately 1.88 million people still live in such communities.
“The personnel shortage in the Ministry of Emergency Situations due to low salaries…”
The missing firefighters are burning up while earning higher wages in Ukraine.
Having such a lack of firefighters is not a good thing for a country that has a refinery or oil depot burning every day.