Mass dismissals of employees are being observed in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The number of vacancies in some departments has reached 40 percent, and the system is at risk of self-destruction. This was announced in the State Duma by the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Igor Zubov. He admitted that the prestige of police service has declined, and salaries and social benefits do not meet market conditions at all.
Reasons for leaving service: Not just money
Although officials point to low wages as the main problem, experts emphasize that the issue is much deeper.
- Leadership's reaction: According to the head of the police union, Mikhail Pashkin, the main reason for the mass departures is the abuse of officers and the lack of holidays.
- The curse of "planning" in the system: Managers are forced to deprive employees of bonuses to achieve high performance, which increases internal tension.
What do the numbers say?
According to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, there is currently a shortage of more than 172 thousand employees in the system. The situation is especially dire in the following areas:
- Patrol service - 31.4% deficit;
- Drug control - 24.7% deficit;
- Criminal investigation - 23.9% deficit.
Position on a global scale: There are many police officers, but few working people
Interestingly, despite the shortage of personnel, Russia leads the world in the number of police officers per capita. There are 643 law enforcement officers per 100,000 people in the country. For comparison, this figure is 256 in the USA and only 120 in China.
Regarding salaries, the average salary of a police officer in Russia in 2025 remains around 50,000 rubles. Although the government promises to increase wages, it was openly stated that this increase "won't be large" against the backdrop of inflation.
In your opinion, is it sufficient to increase salaries only to maintain the quality of personnel in law enforcement agencies, or is it necessary to fundamentally reform the system?
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