Former Emergency Services Department Head Sentenced in Dzerzhinsk

A court in Dzerzhinsk has handed down a verdict for the former head of a local department of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS). He was found guilty of taking a bribe and abusing his official powers, according to the Investigative Committee for the Nizhny Novgorod region.

The ex-head of the MChS department for supervisory activities and preventive work was detained last autumn. The investigation established that in May–June 2025, one of the department«s employees was supposed to travel to the site of a fire in the Dzerzhinskoye local forestry to compile an inspection report. Instead, on the orders of his superior, the subordinate did not go anywhere and entered false information into the report, after which he issued a refusal to initiate a criminal case.

Furthermore, in July of the same year, the man received a bribe of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,000 at current rates) from the head of one of the companies in Dzerzhinsk. In exchange, the businessman was allowed to deal with fire safety regulation violations after the deadline established by the official order.

The Dzerzhinsk court found the former MChS employee guilty and sentenced him to three and a half years in a standard-regime penal colony and a fine of 500,000 rubles. It is also noted that around the same time, the head of the fire and rescue squad of the federal fire service for the region was detained in Dzerzhinsk. Whether the criminal investigation against him is ongoing is not specified.