The Russian police force is facing a 40 per cent staff shortage.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced an acute staffing crisis in the police force. In a number of departments, personnel shortages have already reached 40 per cent. This was announced on Wednesday, 28 January, during a speech in the State Duma by Russian Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Zubov, according to DW.
According to him, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is losing employees every day due to resignations, and the influx of new personnel is not covering the deficit. Among the key reasons, he cited the decline in the prestige of the service, as well as the level of salaries and social guarantees, which do not meet the expectations of police officers in market conditions. At the same time, he noted that an increase in monetary compensation is planned, but it will not be as significant as desired.
This is not the first time that the Russian police have faced a staffing shortage. In March 2025, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev reported a shortage of more than 170,000 employees. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at that time, the shortage of certified personnel was almost 24 per cent in the criminal investigation department, over 31 per cent in the patrol service, almost 25 per cent in the drug control units and about 23 per cent in the investigative bodies. According to the minister, almost half of experienced employees left the service in 2024.
Kolokoltsev also drew attention to management problems, in particular the dismissal of department heads who did not grant their subordinates the prescribed leave, which led to increased tension in the teams. At an expanded meeting of the Interior Ministry's board with President Vladimir Putin in attendance, the personnel shortage was estimated at 172,000 people. The Kremlin chief then instructed that police salaries be made more competitive, in particular by resolving housing issues.
Mikhail Pashkin, head of the police union, told Russian media that the mass exodus of personnel was caused not only by low salaries but also by the humiliating attitude of management. According to his estimates, in some units, the shortage could grow to 50 per cent.
Despite the mass resignations, Russia remains among the world leaders in terms of the number of police officers per capita. In 2024, there were 643 Interior Ministry employees per 100,000 inhabitants. For comparison, the average for EU countries is about 335, in the US 256, in China 120, and in India 128.
According to a decree by the Russian president, the maximum staffing level of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2025 was to be 938,000 people, compared to 922,000 in 2023. At the same time, the average salary of a police officer in Russia in 2025 will be just over 50,000 roubles, in Moscow it will be around 88,500, and in St. Petersburg almost 72,700 roubles.
