OREANDA-NEWS. December 29, 2008. “You are the first on call to come to the rescue of people in distress. Time and again, you have demonstrated high professionalism in mitigating the consequences of natural disasters and catastrophes – both in our country and abroad,” the congratulatory telegram reads. “And the reward for your difficult work, for thousands of lives saved, will always be the genuine gratitude of the people, and the respect of society.

“Today, the Ministry of Emergency Situations is working in new directions: the development of an infrastructure for rescue operations in the regions, implementation of forefront technologies and modern equipment, and improvement of the emergency warning system.”