The Interior Ministry of Russia is facing a daily loss of police personnel, with some divisions experiencing shortages up to 40%, as reported by Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov during a statement to lawmakers on Tuesday.
In his address to the State Duma, Zubov indicated that the reputation of the police force has diminished, and that salaries along with social benefits no longer align with current market expectations.
“We are indeed facing a personnel exodus. Officers are resigning daily, and the number of new recruits does not match the deficit we are experiencing. Some departments report up to a 40% understaffing,” he stated.
Zubov mentioned that the government is planning to increase police salaries but conceded that the raises would not be as substantial as desired.
Repeated concerns have emerged regarding staffing deficiencies within the Interior Ministry.
In March 2025, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev reported a shortage exceeding 170,000 personnel.
A presentation from the ministry at that time indicated that certified officer shortages were at 23.9% in criminal investigation, 31.4% in patrol units, 24.7% in drug enforcement, and 22.7% in preliminary investigation divisions.
Kolokoltsev also noted that nearly half of seasoned police officers departed from the workforce in 2024.
He pointed to the firing of unit leaders who failed to grant legally mandated leave to their staff, stating this “inevitably caused increased tension within the teams.”
During a broader Interior Ministry meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Kolokoltsev assessed the total staffing gap to be around 172,000 officers.
Putin directed officials to ensure that police salaries are made “competitive,” which may involve offering housing benefits.
Despite the surge in resignations, Russia continues to have one of the highest ratios of police officers to population.
In 2024, Russia had 643 Interior Ministry officers per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 256 in the U.S., 120 in China, 128 in India, and an average of approximately 335 across the European Union.
A presidential decree set the authorized staffing level of the Interior Ministry to increase to 938,000 by 2025, up from 922,000 in 2023.
According to the job listing aggregator GorodRabot, the average monthly salary for police officers in Russia in 2025 was slightly above 50,000 rubles ($655).
In Moscow, officers earned an average of 88,500 rubles ($1,160), while in St. Petersburg, the average was 72,700 rubles ($952).
