Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM)
Ministry Overview and Headquarters
Official designation: Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM). Headquarters: 3 Teatralny proyezd, Moscow. EMERCOM is a federal executive authority responsible for civil defence, nationwide emergency management, and disaster response. The ministry directs the Unified State System for Prevention and Elimination of Emergencies (RSChS), operates militarized rescue units and dedicated aviation, and oversees the Federal Fire Service. The minister is Lieutenant General Alexander Kurenkov, appointed on 25 May 2022 by presidential decree.
Command and Control
EMERCOM’s central apparatus provides strategic direction and resource allocation, including 24/7 situational monitoring and coordination through its national crisis management functions. Operational control of field forces is exercised through EMERCOM’s regional centers and main directorates in federal subjects, which task and support specialized rescue units. Rescue centers are commanded by senior officers (general officers or colonels) and integrate engineering, medical, logistics, CBRN, water-rescue, and communications elements for multi-hazard response. The listed units are part of EMERCOM’s militarized rescue formations and receive missions under the RSChS framework.
Legal Authorities and Status
Key statutes include Federal Law No. 68-FZ of 21 December 1994 (On the Protection of Population and Territories from Natural and Technogenic Emergencies) and Federal Law No. 28-FZ of 12 February 1998 (On Civil Defence). EMERCOM was established by presidential decree in January 1994 as a federal executive body with authority over civil defence and emergency response. The rescue centers are militarized units (voinskaya chast) with military status; personnel hold ranks and are subject to military regulations but are not part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Their activities include domestic operations and, by government decision, international humanitarian and disaster-relief missions.
Organizational Structure and Regional Reach
EMERCOM’s operational network is built around Regional Centers for Civil Defence, Emergencies, and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, covering the Central, North-Western, Volga, Southern, North Caucasus, Ural, Siberian, and Far Eastern regions. Each regional center directs main directorates in constituent entities of the Russian Federation and supervises specialized units and rescue centers within its area. This tiered structure enables scalable response, from local incidents to large, multi-regional emergencies, and ensures integration of federal assets with regional and municipal services under RSChS.
Aviation and Rapid Deployment Capabilities
EMERCOM operates dedicated aviation for transport, firefighting, and search-and-rescue. Publicly identified platforms include Il-76 transport aircraft for strategic lift, Be-200ChS amphibious aircraft for aerial firefighting and SAR, and helicopters such as Mi-8 series and Ka-32 for regional mobility, hoist operations, and reconnaissance. Aviation assets support airmobile rescue groups, medevac, delivery of relief cargo, and deployment of field camps and water purification systems. This enables rapid domestic and international deployment of rescue forces and specialized equipment.
179th EMERCOM Rescue Center (military unit 84411)
Unit identification: 179th EMERCOM Rescue Center; administrative designation (voinskaya chast): 84411. Commander: Major General Evgeniy Gavrilyuk. Role: multi-discipline, airmobile rescue formation capable of heavy urban search-and-rescue, structural shoring and lifting, technical rescue, CBRN reconnaissance and decontamination, water-rescue and diving operations, medical support, and field life-support to sustain deployed personnel and affected populations. Typical center-level capabilities include deployable communications, power generation, water purification, mobile workshops, and logistics nodes to receive and distribute relief supplies.
346th EMERCOM Rescue Center (military unit 01630)
Unit identification: 346th EMERCOM Rescue Center; administrative designation (voinskaya chast): 01630. Role: federal-level rescue unit configured for rapid deployment to natural and technogenic emergencies, with capabilities that generally include urban search-and-rescue, technical and high-angle rescue, CBRN response, water-rescue and diving, field medical support, and sustainment services (shelter, power, water, and communications). Specific manning levels, subunit structure, and garrison infrastructure are not publicly disclosed.
653rd EMERCOM Rescue Center (military unit 52987)
Unit identification: 653rd EMERCOM Rescue Center; administrative designation (voinskaya chast): 52987. Role: airmobile rescue formation intended for multi-hazard response under EMERCOM tasking. Standard rescue-center functions encompass heavy USAR, engineering support, hazardous-materials and CBRN tasks, water and ice rescue, canine search teams, medical stabilization, and logistics and communications support for deployed groupings. Detailed equipment inventories and internal order of battle are not publicly available.
Don EMERCOM Rescue Center (military unit 11350)
Unit identification: Don EMERCOM Rescue Center; administrative designation (voinskaya chast): 11350. Role: federal rescue center providing multi-domain emergency response capabilities, including technical rescue, structural collapse operations, flood and wildfire support, CBRN tasks, water-rescue and diving, medical aid, and field life-support. Naming conventions within EMERCOM often reflect historical or regional identifiers; specific basing data, personnel strength, and equipment holdings for this unit are not disclosed in open public sources.
Infrastructure Capabilities of Rescue Centers
Rescue centers typically maintain training grounds (including rubble piles and high-angle facilities), vehicle parks with heavy rescue trucks and specialized modules, mobile power and lighting systems, water purification and distribution units, field kitchens and accommodation camps, and deployable command-and-control shelters with redundant communications. Capabilities commonly include heavy lifting and cutting tools, shoring systems, breaching equipment, hazardous-materials detection and decontamination assets, diving gear and boats, canine units, and medical stabilization teams. Centers also sustain repair and calibration functions for technical equipment and maintain logistics stocks for autonomous operations.
Interagency and International Coordination
EMERCOM coordinates domestically with federal ministries and services (including health, interior, transport, environment, and regional authorities) through RSChS. Internationally, EMERCOM engages under bilateral agreements and multilateral frameworks, and Russian USAR teams participate in the UN’s International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) system. EMERCOM has conducted international disaster-relief deployments when authorized, including urban search-and-rescue operations and humanitarian assistance following major earthquakes and other disasters. Coordination mechanisms include liaison elements, standardized reporting, and interoperability with UN OCHA systems during international missions.
Location and Basing Information
Headquarters location is publicly listed as 3 Teatralny proyezd, Moscow. For the listed rescue centers (179th, 346th, 653rd, and Don), specific garrison addresses, internal site layouts, and sensitive facility details are not comprehensively published in open sources. Available public reporting on EMERCOM rescue centers generally identifies only unit designations, mission sets, and regional affiliations. Absent authoritative publication, precise basing information is not provided here.
Data Gaps and Classification Considerations
Details commonly restricted from public release include unit personnel strength, internal order of battle, secure communications architecture, weapons and specialized technical inventories, precise garrison coordinates and protective measures, and contingency plans. Where publicly sourced, unit identifications and high-level mission descriptions are provided; where data are classified or not published, they are omitted. The military unit numbers (voinskaya chast) listed are administrative identifiers used in Russian government and procurement documentation and are suitable for correlating additional open-source records when available.