The measure expands the remit of militarized fire units of the Emergencies Ministry (MChS), which under current rules operate only on closed administrative territories, federal territories and restricted facilities. Under the bill, they would be dispatched to fight fires and carry out rescue work in ordinary settlements and at civilian sites, Parlamentskaya Gazeta reported.
The explanatory note attributes the need for the measure to an outflow of personnel from the fire service. It also cites "the geopolitical situation in the world" and "potential threats from unfriendly countries," including the protection of facilities in "zones of armed conflict."
Staffing levels in fire brigades average 65.5%, according to RBC. The worst shortages are in the Kherson region (51%), Udmurtia (35%), the Tula region (30%), Moscow and the Magadan region (27% each), the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics and the Vladimir region (26% each), and the Zaporizhzhia region (20%).
Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov said in February that his ministry had held talks with the Defense Ministry. According to him, the two agencies agreed to transfer up to 5,000 conscripts a year to the fire service.
Lawyer Arseny Levinson, commenting for Kommersant, called the bill contentious. In his view, instead of offering competitive pay to civilian firefighters, the Emergencies Ministry intends to use the effectively free labor of service members. The monthly allowance for military personnel in fire units in 2026 is 2,758 rubles.
Important Stories noted that staff shortages at the Interior Ministry and the Federal Penitentiary Service have worsened during the Russia-Ukraine war: people who previously joined those agencies are signing contracts with the Defense Ministry because serving in the war pays more.