A great deal of pandemonium exists in- and outside the Outlaw US Empire all driven by the Empire’s Imperial policies over many decades which is approaching 100 years, with some even preceding 1776. There’re many good analytical podcasts discussing those issues and their roots. I’ve found the guests at Glenn Diesen’s substack’s podcasts to be balanced and vert well informed, with far too many to list. But this article veers away from that turmoil to see how Russia examines itself, specifically the results of last December’s Direct Line with President Putin that received 3+ million questions is discussed in a videoconference meeting with government members on 21 January, roughly one month after the event. Initially the meeting addresses issues related to the very severe Winter weather before looking into the issues manifested during the Direct Line. Onto the discussion:
V. Putin: Dear colleagues, good afternoon!
Today, we are holding our first meeting of the new year, 2026. The New Year holidays are over, and I would like to draw your attention to the fact that all levels of government must begin working productively and thoroughly.
There are a number of issues on our agenda. I propose that we start by discussing how the regions, including those near the front lines, are coping with the winter season, how the energy infrastructure is functioning, and how electricity, heat, and water are being supplied to citizens’ homes, businesses, and social organizations.
We will also discuss the situation in the transport industry, which is coping with the consequences of severe snowfalls and low temperatures.
Please. I would like to ask my colleagues to speak on this issue. I would like to start with Irek Envarovich Fayzullin. Please, Irek Envarovich.
I.Faizullin [Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities]: Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
Dear colleagues!
Indeed, during the holidays, the Ministry of Construction of Russia, together with the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Rostekhnadzor, and Roshydromet, held a series of all-Russian meetings to coordinate the work of the regions. These meetings reviewed the current operational situation, analyzed the measures taken to eliminate incidents in each region, and discussed plans for promptly responding to emergencies, taking into account the current weather conditions.
As part of your instructions, systematic work is being carried out throughout the country to prepare for and address winter. In particular, emergency drills have been conducted in all regions, preparatory measures have been implemented, cooperation between all participants has been established, and regulatory requirements have been updated. In accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Russia, the regions have conducted an inventory of backup power sources and modular boiler houses and have ensured their readiness.
A training course on industrial safety was held in collaboration with Rostekhnadzor to improve the professional training of specialists on the ground.
However, there were also some accidents. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 107 accidents in the heating sector, which is 32% less than last year. In some regions, such as the central part of the country, the south, and Siberia, the cause was the deteriorating weather conditions.
For example, in the city of Rubtsovsk in the Altai Territory, a pipeline rupture led to a partial restriction of resource supply to 556 apartment buildings with a population of more than 73,000 people. In the Penza Region, an emergency shutdown left 118 residential buildings with a population of 29,000 people without heat supply.
However, thanks to the coordinated efforts of municipalities, responsible services, resource suppliers, and management organizations, all emergencies were resolved in a timely manner without prolonged outages. It is worth noting that the average time for emergency repairs across the country has decreased by 8.5% compared to last year. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the training exercises and the implementation of emergency response procedures.
Special attention was paid to the border regions. On January 13, I visited the Kursk region, where the governor, his team and I assessed the current progress of the heating season and the restoration of destroyed infrastructure facilities.
Since the beginning of the year, 29 incidents have been recorded at housing and communal services facilities in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions. All of them have been resolved in a timely manner, including through the prompt installation of block-modular boiler houses purchased last year on behalf of the Government. To eliminate the accidents in these regions, 587 emergency teams, including power engineers and gas workers, have been deployed, with a total of over three thousand personnel.
The reunified regions remain a separate priority. More than 200 emergency and restoration teams consisting of one thousand specialists and 433 pieces of equipment have been formed in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, with the support of the host regions. Despite the constant external influence, emergency situations are being resolved as quickly as possible. Here, we express our gratitude to the energy and heating specialists, as well as the employees of regional and municipal services.
Dear Mr. President, the federal project “Modernization of Municipal Infrastructure,” which is being implemented in accordance with Decree No. 309, plays an important role in increasing the industry’s sustainability. By 2030, we plan to improve the quality of services for 20 million people.
In 2025 alone, more than 2,500 facilities were built and repaired through the synchronization of all support mechanisms. The quality of services improved for 5.5 million people.
In the Pskov region, the first stage of the reconstruction of boiler house No. 9 with a capacity of 116 megawatts has been completed. In Kostroma, the overhaul of a 24,000-meter-long heating network complex has been completed, which has improved the quality of heat supply for almost 160,000 people.
Targeted support for the regions during the heating season continues. In 2025, five regions received more than eight billion rubles.
In general, the regions are highly prepared. Fuel reserves are sufficient, and equipment and personnel are fully equipped.
There are more than 25,000 emergency teams in the country, with a total of 112,000 personnel and 45,000 pieces of equipment.
In cooperation with the regions, the situation is monitored on a daily basis, and all issues are resolved promptly.
The presentation is over. Thank you for your attention.
V. Putin: Thank you very much. In these towns that we know about in the Rostov region, people have been left without water supply or heat. What is the situation there? Please tell me again.
I. Faizullin: Vladimir Vladimirovich, the work continues promptly, block-modular boiler houses are being connected, circulation is provided, the thermal regime is maintained, the return is 31 degrees today, so there is no danger of freezing the situation. They were also equipped with electronic guns in order to heat the entrances. Therefore, we are constantly in contact with the regions where the situation is… And regarding the shelling: today we worked on Klintsy in the Bryansk region, and the tasks were also completed, and the heat was supplied.
V. Putin: Sergey Evgenievich, how does the energy system work in general?
S. Tsivilev[Minister of Energy]: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! Dear colleagues!
During the autumn and winter, the heating season saw an increase in electricity consumption of almost three percent compared to the previous period, which is equivalent to approximately four gigawatts. This exceeded the previous year’s maximum and amounted to a total of 171 gigawatts.
Technological disruptions at fuel and energy facilities did not have a significant impact on the supply of energy resources to consumers. The disrupted energy supply was restored as quickly as possible. During weekends and holidays, snowstorms, abnormal snowfall, and extremely low temperatures had a negative impact on the operation of electricity facilities in some regions. This led to widespread power outages affecting approximately 500,000 consumers in 12 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
System-forming territorial network organizations, together with federal and regional authorities, have ensured the prompt elimination of emerging violations. Such organizations have been working in each region since the beginning of last year, in accordance with the Federal Law that you signed.
The average power restoration time was about five hours, and full restoration was completed within three days.
Another of the most significant violations was the blackout of more than 600,000 people in the Belgorod region. Within a day, the energy supply to the population and socially significant facilities was fully restored through prompt measures. There were no instances of power plant malfunction due to fuel supply disruptions.
In terms of combined heat and power generation facilities, we have conducted emergency drills in 28 regions in collaboration with the Russian Ministry of Construction, and we have updated our plans for dealing with emergencies. This has helped us to practice dealing with technological failures.
More than 23,000 emergency response teams with a total of more than 150,000 personnel and 60,000 pieces of special equipment are constantly ready to respond to power outages. More than eight thousand backup power sources with a total capacity of approximately one gigawatt have been prepared.
Our special attention is focused on the Far East, the southeastern part of Siberia, the south of the country, Dagestan, the reunified and border regions, as well as the isolated power system of the Kaliningrad region.
To promptly eliminate accidents at power and heat supply facilities at the end of the year, together with the Minister of Housing and Construction Fayzullin, the Minister of Emergency Situations Kurenkov, and the Minister of Industry Alikhanov, we have identified an additional need for material and technical resources. I ask for your support in establishing such a federal reserve based on the Russian Reserve.
We will continue our efforts to improve the reliability of energy supply. In addition to the planned repair and investment programs, we will allocate more than nine billion rubles of federal funds this year to strengthen the distribution network complex.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again that the energy sector is constantly working to ensure the stable and reliable operation of fuel and energy facilities.
The presentation is over. Thank you for your attention.
V. Putin: Sergey Evgenievich, it is necessary to look at the regions and other agencies to see where and what else needs to be done additionally, where everything has not yet been restored to the required extent, and to complete this work in the most energetic way and in the shortest possible time.
This applies to all the regions that we have been talking about and that you have mentioned. These include the border regions, Siberia, and the Far East. I would like to ask you, together with your colleagues in the regions, to analyze all of this and take a close look at what is happening there.
You’ve already mentioned the Far East and the border regions. Regarding the Far East, we should also contact Vladimir Viktorovich Solodov, the Governor of Kamchatka Krai.
Vladimir Viktorovich, how are you doing?
V. Solodov: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!
At the end of December and the first half of January, Kamchatka was indeed hit by the heaviest snowfall in the last 50 years. During this time, we received 4.5 months’ worth of precipitation, or 530 millimeters in absolute terms. Additionally, there were risks of avalanches, and even in the central part of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, we had an incident where snow fell from rooftops. Unfortunately, there were casualties: two people died on January 15 as a result of these incidents.
I would like to emphasize, Vladimir Vladimirovich, that throughout the region, with the exception of the regional capital, accidents and the consequences of the snowfall were eliminated within the first 24 hours. However, unfortunately, the situation in Petropavlovsk remains extremely difficult. It was only today, four days after the last cyclone, that public transportation was fully restored. Schools have been switched to remote learning until the end of the week.
I would like to emphasize that all ambulance calls are serviced without exception, but unfortunately, the speed of arrival has been increased, and medical personnel often have to use all-terrain and snowmobile equipment from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the regional rescue center. Fuel, food, and electricity supplies are provided on an uninterrupted basis.
We still have a difficult situation with clearing the multi-meter layer of snow in the inter-block passages, courtyards and with the garbage collection. Only 25 percent of the garbage sites are fully serviced today, although 120 to 140 pieces of equipment work on the streets every day, at the same time they are not enough today.
Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, the situation is now normalizing. I would like to thank Yuri Petrovich Trutnev. Thanks to his instructions and personal involvement, the Ministry of Eastern Development, together with relevant agencies and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, has provided significant assistance to the region. I will briefly report on this assistance.
First. Today, more than 20 snow removal vehicles have been sent to our region, Kamchatka. Our neighbors, the Sakhalin Region, Primorsky Krai, and Khabarovsk Krai, have also responded.
I would like to express my gratitude to Sergey Semyonovich Sobyanin and the Government of Moscow. Due to the remote location, the equipment will be delivered by the Ministry of Emergency Situations and military transport aviation. We expect the first flight to arrive in five hours.
Second. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations is purchasing and delivering four additional units of all-terrain vehicles for the possible evacuation of people and the delivery of emergency medical patients. I would like to emphasize and thank the road workers for their responsible work in clearing the main highways and providing access to boiler houses and energy facilities.
At the same time, I would like to ask you, Mr. President, to instruct the Russian Ministry of Transport to allocate additional funds to the Kamchatka Territory for the restoration of the street and road network in the spring, as we are already predicting very serious damage due to the melting of large snow masses.
Another important systemic issue is the possibility of exporting clean snow without reagents, because we do not use chemical reagents, and we can export it to the terrain and coastal areas, not just to specialized landfills. This will require adjustments to the SanPiN and the definition of “contaminated snow” and simply “snow.” This possibility is currently being considered for areas with permafrost. I would like to ask you, Mr. President, to consider extending this possibility to regions with extreme snowfall. This issue has already been discussed with Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of Natural Resources. Please support us.
Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, the situation is now normalising and is under control. I would like to once again thank the Government of the Russian Federation for the assistance provided. It is important for us not only to eliminate the consequences of the past extreme cyclones, the most severe in the past 50 years, but also to prepare for their possible recurrence, because in our region, and this is an expected situation, according to the current forecast, the next heavy snowfall may occur as early as next week. We are already fully prepared for it.
Thank you for your attention. The presentation is over.
V. Putin: Irek Envarovich, I ask you to promptly consider the governor’s request regarding snow removal and make a decision as soon as possible. Please do not delay.
Andrey Sergeevich, please tell us a few words about the restoration of the streets and the work of the transport complex in general.
A. Nikitin: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! Dear colleagues!
During the winter season, the entire transport complex traditionally adopts a special working procedure. Over 13,000 units of special equipment were prepared for clearing the routes, a stock of sand-salt mixture, reagents, and fuel was formed, additional measures were taken to monitor the condition of aircraft, the readiness of dispatch and airfield services, and the management staff was on duty, and the transport system was put on full alert.
This year’s weather has posed a significant challenge. The snowfall in Moscow was among the five heaviest in 146 years. In some areas, the snowdrifts reached almost half a meter in height. The Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Tatarstan, Kamchatka, and several other regions were also affected by the powerful cyclone.
Despite the abnormal weather conditions, the transport system fulfilled its task. Over the holiday period, more than 13 million passengers were transported, of which 3,760,000 were by air. This is 1.2 percent more than a year ago. More than 2.7 million people flew domestically.
On January 9–10, there was a tense situation at Sheremetyevo Airport, and baggage delivery was disrupted due to snowfall. Vitaly Gennadievich Savelyev was closely monitoring the situation. On January 10, the airport was closed for several hours to clear the snow. In similar weather conditions, major airports around the world often shut down for several days. However, we were able to handle the situation more quickly.
The holiday period has shown that, thanks to the coordinated work of the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Defense, the Federal Air Transport Agency, airlines, and airports, we have learned to work effectively under the Carpet signal. No serious disruptions have been observed as a result.
Along with addressing security issues, we also worked to support passengers. One of the key measures, as you requested, was a 50% discount on flights for children. During the New Year holidays, 215,000 young passengers received this discount, which is 60% more than in the previous year.
Priority service and a 24/7 hotline have been organized for participants in the special military operation and their families.
Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, the work to improve the service for all passengers, including those with disabilities, is not stopping. At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Transport approved rules that establish an expanded standard for serving people with disabilities at airports. These rules will come into effect this fall.
Despite the challenging weather conditions, the federal road network operated smoothly. We are grateful to drivers for their understanding during the temporary restrictions imposed for road cleaning. During the holidays, the volume of freight traffic increased by 16%, but there was a significant decrease in accidents: the number of road accidents decreased by 20%, and the number of fatalities decreased by 15%.
130,000 vehicles passed through the Crimean Bridge, and traffic intensity increased on all key high-speed routes. During the holidays, buses transported 1,840,000 passengers, which is comparable to the same period last year. Significant disruptions were avoided. This is a result of the coordinated efforts of regional teams.
Of course, behind all these numbers are the efforts of hundreds of specialists: machinists, pilots, drivers, dispatchers, repair crews, and maintenance personnel.
Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, despite the weather anomalies, the transport complex has coped with the task. Winter is certainly in full swing, and we continue to monitor the situation and support our colleagues in Kamchatka. We have cleared the federal highways, and in early spring, as soon as the snow melts, we will analyze the road conditions with our colleagues and be ready to provide the necessary assistance.
The report is finished.
V. Putin: Yes, that’s right.
Andrey Sergeyevich, have you heard the request from the Governor of the Kamchatka Territory?
A. Nikitin: Vladimir Vladimirovich, it’s accepted, we will work together with our colleagues, as you said.
V. Putin: Okay. Thank you very much.
I would like to address all my colleagues, both in the federal government and in the regions. At the end of the week, Central Russia and the Volga region are expected to experience severe frosts and a possible return of snowfall in many areas. Therefore, we must be prepared for this development.
The main thing for us today is to discuss issues related to the results of the December “Direct Line”. In other words, these issues have been put to us, to the Government, by the citizens of the country themselves, and they address the most pressing topics that concern people.
In total, more than three million appeals were received on the Direct Line. Most of them were related to social policy, more than 20 percent, the interaction between the state and society, economic development, infrastructure, healthcare, and so on.
I would like to emphasize that the issues raised by citizens are not only the most important indicator of where and in what areas the state should focus additional efforts and achieve better results, but each appeal is a direct indication of the actions of federal, regional, and local authorities.
In this regard, I would like to note that all the questions received during the preparation of the Direct Line are being processed by the People’s Front and volunteers, and then sent to relevant agencies and departments for further action. This is a complex and time-consuming process. I would like to thank everyone who is involved in this work, and I would also like to mention that the Direct Line has recently started using domestic solutions in the field of artificial intelligence. In the past, it could take months to process an application and assign an executor, but now this process takes only a few minutes and, of course, significantly speeds up the resolution of specific issues. By the way, thanks to the new digital tools, federal and regional authorities have started addressing particularly pressing issues immediately, as they come in, even before the [Direct Line] broadcast. I would also like to highlight the initiative of the Ministry of Health, which has been addressing urgent issues from the very beginning of the call-in process, starting on December 5. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues for their responsible approach.
As part of our meeting, I propose that we take a closer look at some of the questions that citizens have asked on the Direct Line. We discussed some of these questions at our previous meeting at the end of last year, and we agreed to work together with our colleagues in the State Duma and in the regions to address them promptly.
First of all, we are talking about fine-tuning the system of support for families with children. Let me remind you: if a family has low income, they can receive assistance from the moment a woman becomes pregnant until the child turns 17. However, citizens have pointed out certain issues that require amendments and clarifications, including the possibility of receiving payments if the family’s income slightly exceeds the threshold. [A “killing line” issue] There have also been suggestions to extend the operation of nursery groups in kindergartens, allowing parents to take their children home at a more convenient time after their workday. We discussed these issues with the Prime Minister after the Direct Line, as well as with the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of these issues. The government is working on these and other initiatives. Instructions have also been given in this regard.
At the same time, I would like to reiterate that all the measures we are implementing in the demographic sphere, in terms of supporting families with children, should be based on the opinions of citizens, take into account their requests, and assess the effectiveness of the existing solutions. Based on this, both the Government and its colleagues in the constituent entities of the Federation should constantly improve the system of support for families with children, supplementing and fine-tuning it.
It is obvious that only in this case will our demographic policy bring real, tangible results. This is the key, strategic task facing Russia.
I would also like to remind you of the important decisions that are intended to further protect the interests of citizens, including families with children, in the housing market. As agreed, the moratorium on fines for developers who do not hand over the keys to apartments within the agreed timeframe was lifted on January 1, 2023. This means that if construction companies delay fulfilling their obligations, home buyers will be able to recover their expenses.
I will repeat once again: the keys to the apartments that have been purchased must be handed over on time. In this regard, systematic work with developers at the level of local and regional authorities, construction and supply organizations, and federal legislation plays a special role. This work must be carried out on an ongoing basis, as I mentioned at our last meeting.
Next. The most important task, duty, and responsibility of the state and our entire society is to support the participants and veterans of the special military operation, as well as their families. The Ministry of Defense and the “Defenders of the Fatherland” Foundation are doing a lot in this regard. The All-Russian People’s Front is also making a significant contribution. It brings together the efforts of millions of citizens and volunteers who actively support the soldiers, our heroes, and their families.
It is obvious that this large and complex work is not without its difficulties. During the Direct Line, there were requests regarding delays in receiving payments, pensions, and benefits for participants in the special military operation and their families. I would like to emphasize that in each specific case, we are dealing with the lives of individuals and their families, and these discrepancies and failures must be addressed with utmost care.
I expect to hear today about what has been done to address these issues, and how the agencies are working together to ensure that our veterans, soldiers, and their families receive the payments they deserve without unnecessary delays or bureaucracy.
A separate topic that was raised during the Direct Line was the availability of preferential medicines. Unfortunately, in some localities, citizens are not always able to receive the necessary medicines after being diagnosed with diseases or undergoing surgeries, either for free or at low fixed prices. This includes essential medications.
I would like to emphasize that preferential medicines should be available in every region and locality. These are the social obligations of the state, and they must be fulfilled properly: financial resources should be allocated to the regions, local work should be organized, contracts for the purchase of medicines should be concluded in a timely manner, and, of course, logistics should be established, including the use of FAPs, post offices, and mobile pharmacies. Such instructions have also been given.
I expect to hear a report on this matter today. I would also like to ask you to focus on the development of domestic production of medicines and vaccines, and on increasing the capacity of Russian pharmaceutical enterprises.
And another thing. As you know, changes in the tax system came into force this year. These changes also affected small businesses that are developing and growing beyond the patent system, and are now paying value-added tax.
As you may remember, during the Direct Line, there was a broadcast from a bakery in the Moscow region, where the owner pointed out that the tax innovations would make it more difficult for small businesses that combine production and sales of their own products.
In recent years, the Government and regional authorities have taken many measures to support small businesses, especially manufacturing businesses. Of course, this sector of the economy should be able to smoothly transition to new taxation systems. In other words, it is important to avoid excessive burdens on entrepreneurs, increased accounting costs, and so on.
I expect to hear the Government’s position on how to protect the interests of manufacturing businesses and provide additional support for these enterprises.
In conclusion, I would like to draw the attention of my colleagues from the Presidential Administration and the Government. An extensive list of instructions based on the results of the Direct Line is currently being prepared. In addition, I would like to request that the results of today’s meeting be formalized as separate instructions.
I would like to give the floor to Tatyana Alekseyevna Golikova. We have repeatedly discussed all these issues with her, including pharmaceutical problems related to the supply of relevant medicines to the regions. As Tatyana Alekseyevna reported to me, the Federation and the central authorities are timely transferring all the necessary funds. However, there are many small issues that need to be addressed on a regular basis.
Please, Tatiana Alekseevna, take the floor.
T. Golikova [Deputy Prime Minister]: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, dear colleagues, good afternoon!
In my report, I will focus on fine-tuning the unified child allowance system.
Let me remind you that during the Direct Line, a large family from the Tyumen Region, the Bayazitovs, who had lost their right to a single allowance due to an increase in their income over the course of the year, approached you, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
Today, the single allowance is a key measure of support for low-income families with children whose per capita income is below the regional subsistence minimum. Let me remind you that the single allowance is assigned and paid for a year, and if there are changes in labor income during the year, the allowance does not change; it is paid throughout the year.
In 2025, the allowance was paid monthly to 4.9 million families for 9.7 million children under the age of 17, as you mentioned. The single allowance is assigned according to the principles of the social treasury based on a single application.
I would like to say that we receive 93 percent of applications through the public services portal, and the remaining seven percent come from MFCs and social fund offices.
The amount of the single allowance is currently tied to the regional subsistence minimum and is 50, 75, and 100 percent of the subsistence minimum, depending on the depth of poverty in the family. This rule has been in effect since the introduction of the allowance in 2023.
Since January 1, 2023, the subsistence minimum has been indexed by 6.8 percent in accordance with the law, and the average subsistence minimum in the Russian Federation is 18,939 rubles [about $240/mo], while the average subsistence minimum for children is 18,371 rubles.
I must say that based on our analytical data, almost every third family receiving a single allowance in 2025 has many children, which is 1.7 million families.
For large families, there are special rules for providing a single allowance. This means that one of the parents in such a family may not have a salary. When assessing the property status of such families, an increased criterion is applied, allowing them to own two cars, two garages, or two parking spaces.
In accordance with your instructions, based on the appeal made by Bayazitova, we have developed coordinated proposals in the Government, together with the relevant federal agencies, to ensure that families with many children retain the right to receive a single allowance in the event of a slight income excess.
What changes are proposed to the rules for assigning a single allowance?
If, upon the re-appointment of the single allowance, the average per capita income of a large family exceeds the amount of one subsistence minimum, but not by more than 10 percent, then the single allowance for a large family is granted once again for another 12 months. Taking into account the subsistence minimum established for 2026, the amount of the permissible excess will be 1,894 rubles.
This means that the allowance will continue to be paid within the limits of this increase. It is clear that this amount is average, and it varies by region depending on the district coefficients that have been established, but on average, as I have already said, it is 1,894 rubles.
This approach will apply to large families whose average per capita income exceeded the minimum subsistence level by the same 100-200 rubles mentioned in the Direct Line.
The amount of the allowance, taking into account the current rules that I mentioned above, will be set at 50 percent of the subsistence minimum for children in this situation. This means that if a family has three children, they will receive a slightly higher allowance of just over 330,000 rubles per year [about $4300/yr], but again, this is an average across Russia.
According to the estimates, the number of children who will receive a single allowance under the new rule will be 231,200, which is 73,800 families. We estimate that the expenses that will be allocated from the federal budget and regional budgets will amount to approximately 25.4 billion rubles, of which 20 billion rubles will be allocated from the federal budget.
These changes require amendments to the Federal Law on State Benefits for Citizens with Children and, accordingly, to 89 legislative decisions of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, because the amount of the benefit is determined by the regions of the country based on our rules.
How do you plan to work, Mr. President? We have prepared a draft law, and we expect to receive approval from all federal executive authorities within the established timeframe. We will ask the State Legal Department of the Presidential Administration to review these amendments as quickly as possible, and once the State Legal Department has concluded its review, we will consider these changes to expedite the process of passing the law as an amendment to one of the government bills currently being considered by the State Duma. We will also approach our colleagues in the parliament to ensure that they accept and review this amendment as soon as possible.
If this schedule works, the law will be adopted by March. In parallel, we will start working with the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to make changes to their legislation.
But no matter how we organize our work, I want to say that we assume that the measure I mentioned will apply to legal relations starting from January 1, 2026. Regardless of when the regional legislative and regulatory decisions and ours come into effect, we will recalculate our obligations starting from January 1, 2026.
Thank you.
V. Putin: Tatiana Alekseevna, we discussed all these issues both as a couple and as a threesome with the Chairman of the Government. It is necessary to launch this system as soon as possible.
By the way, how long will it take to get this all working? If we don’t delay either administrative or legislative decisions, how quickly can it be done?
T. Golikova: If everything goes perfectly, absolutely perfectly, and if the constituent entities of the Russian Federation make their decisions quickly, then all the decisions will be made by May.
But I would like to emphasize once again that we will pay for these months starting from January 1, 2026, which means that we will review the decisions currently being made regarding citizens.
V. Putin: Good, excellent, that’s right. I will ask the Presidential Administration to get involved and help both with the regions and with the parliament. This is the first step.
And secondly. Tatyana Alekseevna, of course, we need to see how this works in practice, and then, based on this, we can make other decisions or adjust the ones we are making today, okay?
T. Golikova: Okay, Vladimir Vladimirovich, it will be done.
V. Putin: Thank you very much.
And, Dmitry Nikolaevich, could you say something about nursery groups in kindergartens?
D. Chernyshenko [Deputy Prime Minister]: Yes, of course.
Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,
During the Direct Line, you clearly outlined three main areas of work in the preschool sector when answering a question about the main areas of work in the preschool sector. The first is the creation of nursery groups during the renovation of kindergartens. The second is the extension of their operating hours. And the third is the provision of personnel for the preschool education system. For us, this is a clear guideline. We understand that it is important for families to have children and to be confident that the government will help with their care, supervision, and education.
Currently, approximately 6 million 86 thousand children in our country attend preschool educational institutions. Of these, slightly more than a million are children aged two months to three years, which was discussed during the Direct Line. Vladimir Vladimirovich, starting from 2024, the availability of kindergartens in our country will be almost complete. Everyone who wants to can access them.
At the same time, the number of people in the queue for groups under three years of age has decreased dramatically, from 214,000 to 4,500, and most of those in the queue, as we have checked, are those who want to have one within walking distance, right near their homes.
Returning to the areas. As you said on the Direct Line, the key issue is the development of infrastructure. I would like to report that, in accordance with your instructions, 1,693 kindergartens have been commissioned from 2019 to 2025, with funding from the federal budget, and more than 20,000 new places have been created in the non-governmental sector, resulting in the introduction of over 267,000 new places for children under the age of three in preschool education.
The leading regions in terms of input are the republics of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Kabardino-Balkaria, the Orenburg Region, and the Moscow Region.
Renovation is ongoing, and by 2030, you have ordered the overhaul of more than two thousand kindergartens and the construction of at least 100 new ones in areas with confirmed demand.
When carrying out capital repairs of kindergartens and schools, the regions are advised to create groups for infants and young children, if necessary, and all of them, which is very important, are equipped with modern teaching aids, games, manuals, and toys. It is very important that these include the developments of the winners of the All-Russian competition “Native Toy.” These are our own, domestic toys, not Western ones. We create an educational environment using the images of our Russian fairy tale and epic heroes that are familiar and understandable to children, and through them, we instill our traditional spiritual and moral values in our students. This creates a solid foundation for their further development in primary school and ensures continuity and unity in the educational environment.
The second important area that you mentioned is the working hours of kindergartens. According to the law, regions and institutions can set their own working hours, and kindergartens usually operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. However, some regions, such as the Tyumen Region, have adopted a more flexible approach by offering groups with different durations, including nine, ten and a half, and even twelve hours.
In the Tula region, for example, it is common practice for preschool institutions to adapt to the schedules of specific industrial enterprises, and parents can request that kindergartens create on-call groups where children can arrive very early, as early as 6:30 a.m. Parents can pick them up until 8 p.m.
Although the formation of such groups is not a financial burden for the regions, to be honest, we do not see such examples in all the regions. We will continue working with the governors and our colleagues to improve the visiting regimes.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, the third thing you mentioned was personnel. In response to a question, you said that it would be necessary to increase the number of teachers and educators and create additional positions.
There are more than 537,000 teachers working in the field of preschool education today, and almost half of them are kindergarten teachers. Currently, there are slightly more than 10,000 vacant positions, which is approximately 1.6% of the total number of positions. However, there are a sufficient number of institutions that provide higher education for preschool education systems, including 36 pedagogical universities, 409 professional organizations, and 47 universities and their branches.
Last year, 3,400 people graduated from higher education programs, and more than 19,000 people graduated from secondary vocational education programs. This is approximately 5.5 percent more than in 2023. This means that there are enough qualified professionals, even more than the annual shortage.
It is important that graduates go to work in their field of study, and we are creating the necessary conditions for this. On the one hand, we can see that in the first nine months of last year, according to Rosstat, the salaries of kindergarten teachers reached the level of salaries in general education. However, it is clear that we still need to work with the regions to ensure that graduates find employment in their field of study.
We are monitoring this situation together with Tatiana Alekseevna Golikova, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labor.
I would like to note that immediately after your “Direct Line” on behalf of the Government, Sergey Kravtsov held a meeting with regional education ministers in Senezh on December 23. There were specialized vice-governors there. First of all, we have worked out the best practices, who can do it, so that the laggards are guided, and measures to organize the work of the nursery group in kindergartens. Appropriate recommendations were made.
In addition, as you always draw our attention to feedback, we receive it directly from citizens: we have organized a survey through the public services portal, the Max messenger, and together with our colleagues from the ONF, we will continue monitoring the situation on the ground.
Thank you. The presentation is over.
V. Putin: Dear Dmitry Nikolayevich, colleagues!
Of course, kindergartens and nurseries are largely the responsibility and prerogative of the regions and even municipalities. This is true. However, solving demographic problems is a national task. The issues we have discussed do not require significant government investments. It is important to address them carefully.
You, Dmitry Nikolayevich, have said that the regions have been advised to do this and that. This is all correct. But it should be a strong recommendation, you know. And, as you also said, “we are keeping this under control,” we need to keep this under constant control and make appropriate adjustments to the work of both regional authorities and federal authorities. This should be done without fail. We’ve talked about this many times, and we’ve discussed it with Tatiana Alekseevna: it’s very important for a woman to return to work as soon as possible after giving birth, and to maintain her qualifications. What can help her do this? It’s about the nursery groups and extending the time children spend in nursery groups and kindergartens. This is a straightforward issue, and people are talking about it. It’s also mentioned in letters and appeals to the “Direct Line.” This is a real concern for people.
I would like to ask both you and Tatiana Alekseevna to pay attention to this and work with the regions in this way, please.
D. Chernyshenko: Yes, there is. It will be done.
V. Putin: We have an agreement.
D. Manturov [First Deputy Chairman of Governments]: Vladimir Vladimirovich, may I add something? Manturov.
V. Putin: Yes, please. Please, Denis Valentinovich.
D. Manturov: To help Dmitry Nikolaevich and Tatiana Alekseevna.
Just on Friday, I was on a business trip to Penza, and we agreed with the governor and a number of our industrial enterprises-–some of them are part of Rostec, and some are independent, private companies–-to make the existing programmes for the payment of maternity capital a pilot programme with industrial enterprises, primarily in the area of nurseries. I remember that you set this task precisely because young mothers want to work. We would then make joint programmes with the regions and municipalities. The governor supported this and even asked us to make it a pilot region.
If you set such a task, then Dmitry Nikolayevich and Tatiana Alekseyevna will do it throughout the country with the regions. Perhaps we won’t even need any significant federal resources. In other words, the enterprises themselves are interested in attracting employees in this way, as it motivates them, and the regions are also interested.
So, we’ll work together. At least we already have a pilot region, Penza, and we’ll spread it out.
V. Putin: Denis Valentinovich, I fully support you. You can believe that before you started speaking, I wrote for myself and I wanted to say publicly that there are best practices and they should be implemented everywhere in the country. So, I fully support what you said. Okay. Thank you very much.
Now, regarding payments to participants in the special military operation and their family members. I would like to ask Anna Evgenievna to start.
You are welcome.
A. Tsivileva [State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Defence]: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief, dear colleagues, good afternoon!
Providing military personnel and their families with all the necessary payments and social support measures is a priority for the Ministry of Defense.
In total, the Ministry provides 78 types of payments, including 31 payments directly related to participation in the special military operation.
Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief, since the beginning of the special military operation, unprecedented measures have been taken to support the participants in the special military operation. However, the mechanism for providing these payments has not always been optimal or convenient in the context of the ongoing military operations, the increase in the number of personnel in the Armed Forces, and the significant increase in the number of payments made to military personnel and their families. As a result, there have been delays in the provision of these payments.
An example of this is the appeal made by the widow of a deceased participant in the Special Military Operation, Grebe Kristina Sergeevna, on December 19, 2022, regarding the untimely assignment of survivor’s pension. I would like to inform you that the pension for Kristina Sergeevna and her two sons has been assigned by the Novosibirsk Region Military Commissariat and has been paid in full.
It is important for us to establish a systematic approach, so that none of the military personnel or their families face such problems. To achieve this, we analyzed the payment mechanism in detail last year to identify the reasons for such failures. I would like to report these reasons to you.
First, most of the document flow is carried out in paper form, which leads to significant time losses in the processing and, consequently, the transfer of documents.
Incomplete and often irrelevant information about family members in the personal files of military personnel. For example, family members are not listed, or the information about their place of residence is missing or irrelevant, as was the case with Kristina Sergeevna, and there is no unified information system for pension provision in the Ministry of Defense, which makes it difficult to monitor the timely assignment of pensions.
The military commissariats have a low staffing level in the social security departments due to the heavy workload.
After we identified this problem, we have been implementing the following measures since 2025, on behalf of the Minister of Defense, Andrey Removich Belousov. Since April 2025, the certificates of monetary allowance, which serve as the basis for calculating the pension amount, have been converted into electronic form and are available to any military commissariat within one day of issuance. Since October 2025, data on family members has been automatically transferred to the Ministry of Defense in electronic form from the Unified Population Register as part of the interdepartmental cooperation between the Ministry of Defense and the Federal Tax Service of Russia.
The Unified Automated Pension System is currently being implemented. The number of employees in military commissariats has been increased, and they are already using automated workstations to work in the new Unified Information System, which was not previously available. The purchase of computer equipment and the implementation of the system are being carried out with the support of PSB Bank in accordance with your instructions.
In addition to payments from the Ministry of Defense, participants in the special military operation and their family members are provided with a significant number of regional social support measures. The Ministry of Defense, together with the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and the Ministry of Digital Development, has implemented the “Data Showcase” service, which is a database of information about participants in the special military operation and allows them to receive regional social support measures through multifunctional centers for public services using the “one visit, one application” principle, which provides for multiple benefits at once.
Today, more than 200 agencies from all regions of the Russian Federation are already connected to the Data Showcase. According to preliminary estimates by the Ministry of Economic Development, this service will provide participants in the special military operation and their families with at least 70 percent of the support measures by the end of this year.
Today, a service has already been implemented that allows participants in the special military operation to suspend enforcement proceedings and receive proactive tax benefits without the need for the participant or their family member to participate. This has been made possible through electronic interagency cooperation between the Ministry of Defense, the Federal Bailiff Service, and the Federal Tax Service. This work will continue in the future.
As for the participants of the special military operation who have been dismissed from the Armed Forces, they fall within the scope of the work of the state fund “Defenders of the Fatherland.” Over the past year, we have worked closely with the Ministry of Digital Development to create a state information system called “Defender of the Fatherland,” and we have noticed discrepancies between the information in the register of veterans of the Social Fund of Russia, the GIS “Defender of the Fatherland,” and the information available to the regional interdepartmental commissions. In some regions, the gap between these databases reaches up to 30 percent. Sergey Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation and First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, emphasized this point.
I will explain how it works. The security agencies are proactively filling the Social Fund of Russia’s register with data on retired veterans and family members of deceased participants in the special military operation. However, until recently, the information was not fully updated and was delayed.
On behalf of the Minister of Defense, this issue has been taken under control. In the last month of 2025 alone, the number of verified data on retired military personnel between the Ministry of Defense and the Social Fund of Russia increased by four thousand people.
During the first quarter of this year, we plan to complete the formation of a reference database on retired veterans in order to eliminate the discrepancies I mentioned earlier.
As for the transfer of information on family members of the deceased to the Russian Social Fund, this is a special area because the information is sensitive and is stored decentralized in the Ministry of Defense. In 2025, a number of organizational measures were required to coordinate the mechanism for aggregating and transferring this information to the Social Fund.
Last week, we began transferring information as part of our information exchange with the Russian Social Fund, in accordance with the information exchange agreement we have with the Ministry of Defense. Therefore, we also plan to complete the process of providing information about the families of the deceased to the Social Fund registry by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
I would still like to draw your attention to one more point. In order to continue supporting the dismissed participants of the special military operation and the families of the deceased heroes, this information must be fully submitted to the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, as the Social Fund is the source of this information under the President’s Decree. However, this is not happening at the moment, as we do not have a coordinated mechanism for proactive data transfer.
To address this issue, we are actively working with the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia to regulate information security, and with the Federal Security Service of Russia and the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control to amend the Government decree on the GIS “Defender of the Fatherland.” We expect to receive approval for the draft decree by the end of the first quarter of this year.
Currently, the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation fills its database only when a veteran or a member of their family personally contacts a branch of the foundation in a region, which does not allow us to work proactively.
For those who were unable to contact the fund in person, this means that assistance may not always be provided immediately and in a timely manner. I ask you, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, to instruct the relevant authorities to promptly review the amendments to the Government’s decree on the GIS “Defender of the Fatherland” regarding the proactive transfer of data on discharged military personnel and family members of deceased soldiers. I will report the results of this work to you.
The report is finished.
V. Putin: Thank you.
I will not talk about the importance of this work now, it is obvious. Here, of course, we need to continue the digitalization of all decisions related to the issues we are currently discussing, in order to make this entire system more efficient and workable, so that our guys, who are now risking their lives, and sometimes giving their lives in the interests of Russia, are confident that all social issues for them and their families will be resolved, effectively and quickly, as it should be and as it is possible today.
Therefore, I repeat, the digitalization of all issues must be continued. We will definitely discuss this with the Minister of Defense.
And of course, it is very important here–-and we have also discussed this with the heads of civilian agencies and the Ministry of Defense–-to establish cooperation between the Ministry of Defense and civilian agencies.
Anton Olegovich, could you say something about this?
A. Kotyakov [Minister Labor and Social Protection]: Thank you, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!
I will focus on the support measures provided by civilian agencies, supplement Anna Evgenievna’s report, and address some of the challenges in cooperation that Anna Evgenievna mentioned.
It should be noted that the first civilian federal payments are now being made to our soldiers while they are still serving in the military. These are the monthly monetary payments for combat veterans, known as the EVD.
Today, the EVD is a monetary compensation provided to a citizen in the form of natural benefits. However, after demobilization, a veteran can replace the EVD with free medical care, free spa treatment, and free travel. We have already developed a mechanism for a citizen to easily switch from receiving monetary benefits to receiving all other benefits in the form of natural benefits, if necessary.
Today, the Social Fund assigns payments proactively, that is, without a personal application from a serviceman, only upon the issuance of a combat veteran’s ID card. In other words, the speed of providing this support directly depends on the Social Fund receiving information from law enforcement agencies about the assignment of combat veteran status to a citizen. And here, of course, it is very important, as Anna Evgenievna mentioned, to ensure that the register of demobilized participants in the special military operation is filled in a timely manner.
We are constantly verifying the information. At the moment, Anna Evgenievna has mentioned four thousand cases in the last month. In general, at the end of 2025, this work was carried out comprehensively. A large number of citizens were identified whose information had not been submitted to the Social Fund. As a result, the internal structure of the Ministry of Defense’s document flow was modified. Today, we can see that data from the Ministry of Defense is being provided to us, allowing us to proactively address the concerns of these citizens.
Today, we are paying special attention to participants of the special military operation who were injured during their participation in the special military operation. Here, we have established direct cooperation between our medical and social examination institutions and all medical organizations of the security forces.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, we proceed from the need to expedite the processing of all documents and support measures related to disability. Therefore, the duration of the civil medical and social examination for soldiers is currently up to three days if the soldier has an amputation, and up to 10 days in all other cases.
At the moment, the examination is conducted in absentia, and only when necessary, the specialists of the medical and social examination visit medical organizations themselves. This means that the fighter does not need to contact us at the institution; we either rely on the documents they receive from the medical organization or visit the hospital ourselves and conduct the necessary additional examinations.
Pensions for disability, monthly monetary payments for disability. Today, the Social Fund provides an electronic certificate for technical means of rehabilitation proactively, without requiring additional applications. If, for example, a specific model of a prosthetic device, a wheelchair, or another technical means of rehabilitation chosen by a veteran is more expensive than the value of the electronic certificate, we have established a mechanism for additional payments for our citizens, so that they do not incur additional costs for purchasing technical means.
Since 2025, the Social Fund’s rehabilitation center has been accepting veterans of the special military operation for rehabilitation. Last year, a total of 19,000 soldiers received treatment at Social Fund facilities.
From this year on, we will provide an opportunity for veterans to receive spa treatment accompanied by their loved ones. If a veteran has medical indications or a disability of the first group that requires their escort, we will provide this opportunity. Travel, accommodation, and meals will also be covered by the budget.
We have set up a system so that during rehabilitation, veterans can undergo vocational guidance, meet with representatives of recruitment centers, and create their own personal career path.
Today, participants in the special military operation are granted priority access to free retraining as part of the national project “Personnel.” The selection process takes into account their combat experience and any health limitations they may face.
From January 1, 2026, on your instructions, Vladimir Vladimirovich, veterans of the special military operation will have the opportunity to sign a social contract to develop their own business. The grant is currently up to 350,000 rubles [about $4770]. It is provided without assessing the citizen’s income. The social protection agencies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation have already started accepting the first applications, which we have organized through the public services portal.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, regarding the provision and filling of information. We will work with Anna Evgenievna further. Today, the scheme for providing all information to the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation has been implemented in accordance with the current legal framework.
The fact is that Anna Evgenievna was right to emphasize that the information contained in this registry is very sensitive and significant, and the procedure for transferring the entire amount of information to the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation was approved by all relevant law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
Therefore, I understand that Anna Evgenievna is proposing to change the legal framework today in order to gain more comprehensive access to the information available in the Social Fund. We will work with the regulatory authorities and provide you with additional information.
That’s all I wanted to say. Thank you.
V. Putin: Yes. Anton Olegovich, thank you very much.
I would like to emphasize once again that addressing social issues and fulfilling the state’s obligations to our soldiers and their families is also extremely important for the successful performance of combat tasks: I think this is obvious, because people who are at the front should know that the state reliably provides for their interests and the interests of their family members. This is a significant part of the motivation to work effectively in combat conditions, and it is simply the duty of the state—a moral obligation to support our fighters and our veterans. Therefore, I ask you to give this priority and attention.
I hope that the questions that were raised during the Direct Line and those that arise during joint discussions between the military, law enforcement agencies, and civilian government structures will be the focus of your attention, and that timely decisions will be made, including the ones we have just discussed.
Of course, we will return to this issue at some point, and I would like to ask you to keep this in mind and be prepared to report on what has been accomplished during the time it will take to resolve the issues at hand.
Thank you very much.
Let’s move on to the next question.
Reshetnikov Maxim Gennadievich, I would like to ask you to say a few words about the changes for small businesses. As we remember, and we also mentioned this today, Denis Maksimov, the owner of the well-known bakery “Mashenka”, had a number of questions.
You are welcome.
M. Reshetnikov [Minister of Economic Development]: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! Dear colleagues!
The tax changes adopted last year complete the transition period for the benefits that were introduced for small businesses, and many of them were introduced during the COVID period.
The new rules are designed to support fair competition and prevent the artificial fragmentation of businesses. At the same time, your goal was to maintain support for manufacturing businesses and companies in general for industries that are part of the supply economy.
Since January 1, businesses on the simplified taxation system have been gradually transitioning to paying value-added tax. In particular, the threshold for income that triggers this obligation has been adjusted from 60 million to 20 million rubles [about $261,400].
A tariff scale for insurance premiums is being introduced: 76 percent for a number of manufacturing industries, 15 percent for supply-side industries, and 30 percent for all others.
Regions still have the opportunity to reduce the simplified taxation rate for industries related to production.
The marginal income for applying the patent taxation system is gradually reduced.
All of these decisions will affect a large number of companies, including the owner of the Masha bakery, who asked you a question during the Direct Line. However, for him, as well as for all entrepreneurs working in the supply-side sectors of the economy, there are still preferential taxation options available. In the case of Denis Vladimirovich, the owner of the bakery, there are two options. Currently, he is engaged in the public catering industry. This business can benefit from the exemption from VAT, provided that the wages are at least the average industry wage for the region in the previous year.
It is also possible to receive a preferential rate of insurance contributions–-15 percent, as catering is a branch of the economy of supply. Denis Vladimirovich’s task is to raise the salary (which is now, unfortunately, significantly lower than the average in the region) to the average for this industry in the Moscow region.
Another option. Since the company’s main activity is food production, the entrepreneur can change their OKVED, which is the type of activity, and receive a 76% insurance premium rate as a manufacturing enterprise.
In addition, the owner of the Masha bakery can receive a tax benefit under the simplified system from the Moscow region. The Moscow region has the authority to set a reduced tax rate under the simplified system.
The subjects can also customize support measures for businesses. For example, colleagues from the Moscow Region suggested that the bakery open additional high-traffic sales points and compensate for the costs of rent and equipment through their own program and the regional program for supporting small and medium-sized businesses, which are also supported by the federal budget.
We help entrepreneurs navigate all these new changes. To do this, My Business centers in all regions provide advice to business owners, train accountants, and host webinars with the participation of the tax service and Opora Rossii, where we explain all these issues.
In December, about half a million small and medium-sized companies participated in the events. However, businesses note that it takes time to make a choice and adapt to the benefits, and in order to take advantage of these innovations, companies must meet certain criteria based on their performance over the past year, such as average wages in the industry. Since entrepreneurs faced the need to choose a tax regime at the end of last year, it is clear that they were unable to significantly impact many indicators for the entire year.
In the case of Masha, as I have already said, the salary must be higher than the industry average in order to receive public catering benefits, and the share of production income must exceed 70 percent in order to receive insurance benefits.
What is the situation in this regard? In this regard, it is proposed to introduce a transitional period for this year, 2026, and to consider the parameters of activity not for the previous year, 2025, but for the quarterly data of the current year. In other words, if you increase your salary in the first quarter, you can enter the public catering regime in the second quarter, which includes VAT exemption and other benefits.
We discussed the decision with the Ministry of Finance, and our colleagues supported it. It was approved by the Chairman of the Government, and it was discussed with Maxim Stanislavovich in the Administration. Therefore, we ask for your support, and in this case, the Ministry of Finance is ready to ensure that the relevant amendments are submitted and, consequently, adopted by the State Duma in the first quarter, so that these changes can be implemented starting from the second quarter (businesses will already know about them).
We are also adjusting our other support measures, which are part of the small and medium-sized business programme and the national project, to take into account the tax changes. We are primarily focused on manufacturing companies, and we have doubled the volume of loans issued under the subsidised programme with the Central Bank to 200 billion rubles. This year, the volume of loans issued under the umbrella guarantees of the SME Corporation will increase to 260 billion rubles. We are also allocating almost the same amount to support SMEs through regional guarantee microfinance organisations. I mean the total amount of support.
The creation of business and technology centers and industrial parks will continue. The My Business center is actively working. We expect that companies from the supply-side sectors, including the Masha bakery, will be able to use any of these mechanisms. We will continue to provide advice and adjust them as needed.
We now ask you to support these proposals for the transition period in 2026.
V. Putin: This is a good idea, Maxim Gennadievich. You are right about the transition period. Of course, I support this. We should also consider simplifying tax reporting. You have already touched on this, but it is important to make it clear that we are talking about simplifying tax reporting.
As for the work of the My Business centers, it is very good: both information support and methodological support are needed. The work is generally well-organized. However, if there are issues that were raised during the Direct Line, it means that there is room for improvement in terms of information and methodological support.
That’s all for now. Thank you. I hope that what you said will be implemented.
Please, a few words about preferential drug provision. Mikhail Albertovich, please.
M. Murashko [Minister of Health]: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! Dear colleagues!
We have indeed processed all the applications that were received during the collection process, but I would like to point out that the Roszdravnadzor hotline (which is open throughout the year and can be reached at 8 (800) 550-99-03) and the insurance companies are still operating. Every citizen of the Russian Federation has a policy and an insurance company in their personal account on the public services portal, which allows them to interact with the relevant authorities to resolve their issues.
All the questions on the Direct Line were thoroughly analyzed. One of the most sensitive topics remains the issue of medicines.
Today, we have a system in which preferential drug provision is financed from three main sources, depending on the patient’s category.
From the federal budget, these are people with disabilities, veterans, and a number of other categories. They receive medications as part of the state social support program, as well as the state program for providing medications for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and high-cost diseases. For children with severe and rare diseases, medications and medical devices are purchased by the Circle of Kindness Foundation, which was established on your behalf.
The second source is the regional budget. These are people with certain chronic diseases or social status, where medicines are provided free of charge or at a 50 percent discount.
The third is inpatient care provided by compulsory health insurance funds.
In general, the funding for outpatient drug provision for 2025 amounted to 725 billion rubles (this is only the outpatient segment, excluding expenses for vaccines), and it increased by almost 14 billion rubles last year, funded by the federal budget.
I would like to note that the federal budget’s obligations are being fulfilled on time. In December 2025, we also signed and fully allocated all funds for 2026. All patients who receive benefits in kind through centralized purchases from the federal budget have not made any inquiries regarding this issue during the Direct Line. Everything is being implemented on time and without interruptions.
As for the regional benefit, the regions have also increased their funding for this program. In 2025, more than 245 billion rubles were allocated from regional budgets, an increase of 15% compared to 2024. In 2025, the federal budget also supported several regions by allocating almost a billion rubles in additional funds for these purposes in the regional budget.
In general, I would like to note that the funding volumes for 2026 have increased by 7 percent (compared to the previous year).
In addition to increasing funding, we are constantly improving the system of preferential drug provision. In 2020, a crucial tool was launched: the Federal Register of Citizens Eligible for Drug Provision. Today, this register is an effective mechanism. It updates information about all eligible citizens, and it also includes a labeling system that allows us to monitor the availability of drugs on the market.
I would like to point out right away that there have been no systemic problems with citizens’ complaints about the lack of certain medications on the market.
From March 1, 2026, a federal register with individual patient diseases will also be launched. This will allow us to plan drug provision more clearly and accurately based on up-to-date data. This is another good planning format.
Starting in 2026, a new mechanism will be launched to provide patients with rare diseases. For regions that face financial constraints, the approved methodology allows them to apply for additional funding from the federal budget.
As part of the national project “Long and Active Life,” joint tenders are being expanded for all federal programs where we finance and transfer funds to the regions. Joint tenders are a very effective mechanism. Last year, we conducted joint tenders, which resulted in high-quality and timely provision of services, as well as significant price reductions, ultimately increasing the number of patients compared to traditional procurement schemes where each region purchased independently.
An analysis of the appeals showed that the main issues raised by citizens concerned the timeliness of receiving regional preferential medicines and the adherence to specific brand names of medicines. I would like to emphasize that brand names always have equivalents, and the issue of efficient use of budget funds is, of course, related to the prescription of medicines using international non-proprietary names. The quality of all medicines is checked in the same way, and only high-quality medicines are allowed on the market.
On your instructions, we are working to increase the share of domestic medicines on the market. It is important to note that all medicines are consistently available for civilian use, and we currently have the Analytical Showcase resource, which aggregates all data. The reserves exceed the three-month level.
We are also developing measures to increase the physical availability of medicines. You have instructed us to organize the sale of medicines through Russian Post offices. The draft resolution has been prepared, submitted to the Government, approved in accordance with the established procedure, and will be adopted in the shortest possible time.
Introduction of mobile mobile pharmacies in remote settlements. This bill was adopted by the State Duma in the first reading, and it is planned to be adopted in the second reading during this session.
In addition, we have previously carried out the sale of medicines at medical stations, of which there are more than 45,000. In fact, every medical station today has the right to dispense medicines.
A specific appeal from a resident of Krasnoturinsk to the Ministry of Health. Together with Roszdravnadzor and specialized experts, we checked the information about possible disruptions. The citizen reported that there had been disruptions at the end of the year, and he had received all the medications he needed on time. I would like to mention that he also had a certain preference for brand names. The subject resolved all the issues with the citizen, and the matter was closed.
But I would like to point out that he suffered a vascular catastrophe last year, and the programme that was adopted on your instructions to provide medical care to patients who have suffered a vascular catastrophe has led to a reduction in the number of repeated heart attacks by more than 32 percent–-this is a huge figure–-and a reduction in the mortality rate after a repeated heart attack by 65 percent. These are very good results.
A number of questions were related to immunobiological drugs, such as anti-Rh immunoglobulin. It is administered only by medical professionals. Our employees have provided all the necessary explanations in the media and on social networks, stating that this drug should only be supplied and sold by medical organizations, as its quality and administration should be monitored by a doctor.
During the Direct Line, there was also a question about including online glucose monitoring services in the “white” lists for transmitting data from these devices in the event of mobile communication restrictions. I would like to note that the Ministry of Digital Development has addressed this issue, and it is expected to be implemented in the first quarter of 2026.
Also, on your instructions, the process of creating a production facility for glucose monitoring devices in the Russian Federation has been completed. Today, the Rostec Group of Companies has established this production facility, and it is already in operation. Glucose monitoring data is stored only on Russian servers within the Russian Federation.
I finished my report.
Thank you very much.
V. Putin: Mikhail Albertovich, if we return to the issue of using mobile pharmacies and Post of Russia branches, what are the current deadlines?
M.Murashko: As for the Russian Post, I think that the issue will be resolved by the end of January. The document has been agreed upon by everyone, submitted to the Government, and is currently undergoing a short administrative procedure, so it will be released.
As for pharmacies, the bill has been passed in the first reading. The Duma is currently collecting additional amendments. I am confident that it will be passed. Mobile pharmacies always have a higher risk, as the temperature in our country can rise above 40 degrees [104F] in summer, and in winter, as you mentioned at the beginning of today’s meeting, the temperatures can be extremely low. It is crucial to maintain the quality of medical products at all times. Therefore, the requirements for such individual pharmacies, including temperature and humidity control, must be very strict, because when providing medicines, we must be 100 percent confident in their quality.
V. Putin: Good. Okay, thank you.
Anton Andreevich, do you have any comments on these issues?
A. Alikhanov [Minister of Industry and Trade]: Yes. Thank you very much.
Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,
I will try to briefly describe the situation in terms of pharmaceutical production in the country.
There has been a significant increase in the last decade and a half, with approximately 80 new production sites and more than 80 new production facilities being opened, resulting in a total of 524 manufacturers. This increase in production capacity has led to a 63% share of domestic drugs on the open market. In terms of the public procurement market, we meet more than 80% of the needs of the public healthcare system.
We produce 86 percent of all the drugs on the list of vital and essential medicines, and two-thirds of them can be produced using Russian pharmaceutical substances.
I will tell you about some of the important drugs. For the National Vaccination Schedule, we produce vaccines against 11 of the 12 pathogens in full cycle. In the epidemiological indications schedule, we provide prevention of 21 of the 24 infections.
We support the further development and production of the missing vaccines. Through the Industry Development Fund, we helped to establish the Nanolek facility in the Kirov Region for the production of a vaccine against human papillomavirus. The first phase was launched in October last year, and further expansion of this facility is planned. Additionally, with our support, this company will soon implement a large-scale project to produce vaccines against meningococcal infection and chickenpox.
Domestic manufacturers supply the Ministry of Health with more than 80 percent of cancer drugs, including the most advanced so-called targeted therapy–drugs based on monoclonal antibodies. As an example, we can cite Biocad, which has brought to the market the world’s first drug for the treatment of Bekhterev’s disease, developed by our Russian scientists from the N.I. Pirogov Institute of the Russian Ministry of Health.
Nevertheless, there is still work to be done. There is a lot of work to be done on drugs for HIV, hepatitis, and insulin, where we cover about half or slightly more of the total volume of government purchases. We already have the necessary competencies, but many of these drugs are still protected by patents. Once the patents expire, we will be ready to quickly produce these drugs on Russian platforms.
We are paying special attention to carrying out your instructions, Vladimir Vladimirovich. Mikhail Albertovich has already mentioned three areas for the production of blood products. In fact, we are currently engaged in construction. In the next three years, major projects will be implemented at several sites, and some of them are already in the final stages and are expected to be operational by the end of 2026 or early 2027. These sites are located in Moscow, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, Tomsk, Ufa, and the Ryazan Region.
Last year, Russian companies also mastered the production of three invasive drugs for the treatment of mental illnesses. Two of these drugs are planned to be produced under an offset contract with Moscow. Moscow is our largest region that uses the offset contract mechanism due to its large regional market.
We are working systematically on breakthrough technologies such as biotech and radiopharmaceuticals as part of our national technology leadership projects. We have already achieved tangible results. Last year, the share of Russian radiopharmaceuticals exceeded 97.5%, indicating that we have almost completely replaced radiopharmaceuticals. We expect to reach 100% this year and exceed the goals you set for us by 2030.
I would like to say two words in conclusion. In our opinion, the industrial base in the industry has already been largely established. As I mentioned earlier, there are plans to build at least 10 new production facilities by 2030. These facilities will specialize in anti-cancer, hormonal, radiopharmaceutical, and other socially important drugs. However, we believe it is crucial to shift from an extensive to an innovative model of industry development, focusing on expanding the range of drugs, creating new medications, and further increasing localization.
We need to admit that a large number of foreign and Western companies have left and significantly reduced their activities in terms of clinical research in our country. Of course, we do not want to become hostages to the so-called generic model. Therefore, we need to restore the volume of research.
Our Ministry, together with the industry, has been discussing this topic with our colleagues from the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Health on the basis of the Coordination Council. As a result, we have a proposal to create a new mechanism for supporting innovation. This mechanism would provide compensation for the actual costs of clinical research if it resulted in the development of a unique drug for global use, known as the first class, or if it surpasses existing treatment methods. We plan to complete this work in the first half of the year and hope to hold the first selection process this year, so that the industry can apply for these support measures next year. We are currently working on this initiative with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance. As I said, we will report on it by the end of the first half of the year.
The report is finished.
V. Putin: Thank you very much.
I would like to point out that Russian pharmaceuticals have made tremendous strides in recent years, simply tremendous. This is an obvious fact.
But, as Anton Andreevich himself said, there is still work to be done. And this is one of the areas where we certainly need to do more to increase our independence. I certainly support what you said about the amount of research that increases our autonomy and independence. Let’s continue moving forward in this direction.
Marat Shakirzyanovich, I would like to say a few words about protecting the interests of housing buyers under shared participation agreements.
And secondly, about the results of the construction industry’s work over the past year. In general, they are quite decent, I would say.
Please, Marat Shakirzyanovich.
M. Khusnullin [Deputy Prime Minister]: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!
Thanks to your constant attention and systematic support, as well as the Government’s ongoing work with the governors, all the planned indicators of the Infrastructure for Life program have been achieved in the first year of the new national project.
We have calculated the preliminary data with the governors and the Ministry of Construction. We can see for sure that our construction volumes have increased by 1.7 percent in 2025. Moreover, this growth has been stable since 2020, with a 34 percent increase over the past six years. We have not experienced any decline in any year, and we have been growing year after year. This is the first point.
The second thing that is a little bit unexpected, but very pleasant, is that we will have a current volume of real estate of about 149 million square meters. This is the maximum volume in the entire period of statistics and accounting. At the same time, it should be noted that this is 1.7 percent more than last year.
To be honest, we were a little worried, we thought it would be lower, but the pace of both mortgages and project financing in 2023 has yielded such results that we see 149 million, and more than 40 million of them are non-residential properties. This is the highest figure. Non-residential properties have increased by more than 6.3 percent.
We also met the target for housing at the level of 108 million, which is slightly more than last year. At the same time, if we have slightly decreased in multi–family housing, by 2.4 percent, which is absolutely objective, then in individual housing we have also achieved the best indicator in history - 63.5 million square meters. These include roads, infrastructure, systematic work, and land preparation. A lot of work by the governors has produced such a result.
In total, 820 million square meters of real estate have been built in the country since 2020, 604 of them residential. This means that 13.6 percent of all residential real estate in the country has been renovated.
In fact, this is a big indicator. Even if you look at it on a global scale, few countries in the world implement such programs. We plan to provide at least 20 percent by 2030, and housing provision will be at the level of 30 square meters per person already, 33 will be by 2030.
611,000 families improved their conditions through mortgages last year. Thanks to the unprecedented decision that was made, the biggest help was on the mortgage, and of course, thanks to the family mortgage, we were able to support the industry, and most importantly, we were able to allow the completion of those houses that residents had financed.
We continue to constantly “stack” this issue with the governors, we are dealing with this in a staff mode. We hope that we will continue to maintain the same pace.
In terms of road construction and infrastructure, we have managed to build and reconstruct 14 percent more roads than last year.
If we talk about the moratorium, Vladimir Vladimirovich, then we have indeed lifted the moratorium. This measure played a role: we managed to survive the pandemic, high stakes, sanctions, and logistical constraints. It is precisely thanks to these measures that we have managed to maintain the volume of housing construction in general. Now this measure has outlived its usefulness, so we canceled it.
As for fines for the quality of work. We will literally work out the GOST standards for the decoration of the Ministry of Construction by the end of the first quarter, and we will approve them by Rosstat. We needed this because before, most of the housing was built without finishing, and there were no such problems when accepting apartments. Since most of the housing has now been built with finishing, the legal uncertainty has led to certain disputes and misunderstandings. Now we will finish this work with the Ministry of Construction, issue all relevant resolutions and will continue to build as much as possible with finishing.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, all the tasks you set have been completed, and thank you so much for your help and support to all your colleagues, especially the governors. Everyone is directly or indirectly related to the construction site. We have managed to do everything that is planned.
I’ve finished my report. Thank you very much.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you, Marat Shakirzyanovich.
You mentioned the decoration of residential buildings. How do you feel about the idea of mandatory inclusion of finishing parameters in the design documentation of apartment buildings?
Mikhail Khusnullin: We absolutely support this, it is a timely measure, it must be introduced. This will improve our quality and allow the public to save their money, because with centralized finishing, people simply save their money and get inconvenienced. After the house is built, everyone starts to renovate it for several years. Therefore, we will absolutely support and do it, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
Vladimir Putin: Well, thank you. And I would like to congratulate all the builders on the results of the complex’s work over the past year. This is a good result. Thank you very much.
Dear colleagues! Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich,
I want to thank you all for being so actively involved in the implementation of the tasks that the citizens set for us during the Direct Line. It is precisely the tasks that the citizens have set. You and I are well aware that this is not the first experience of such a “Straight Line”. The “Straight Line” has been working for many years, and each time it is not only the best sociological cross-section of what citizens care about, but also a guideline in our work. Our correct, important, large–scale tasks are one thing, but the backlash, which we talk about all the time, is another matter. This is the very feedback that helps us to put our work into practice, in practical terms.
I would like to thank everyone once again for their active involvement in our joint work and express the hope that we will consistently implement everything we discussed today. All this is very important for the country, for millions of our citizens. We will continue to work in this vein.
Thank you very much. Good luck. [My Emphasis]
Improvements continue. Besides manufacture of pharmaceuticals, it’s clear the energy industry needs to vastly upgrade their electrical output to accomodate Russian data centers. The centralized heating systems described—boiler rooms—are similar to what’s being disabled in Ukraine. As noted, Russia prepares well for Winter, but Nature still provides surprises that test emergency systems. The demographic issue is one major pressure on Putin to arrive at a solution in Ukraine; it’s also a reason why the Outlaw US Empire will continue to prolong it as much as possible despite what’s said. Lucky for Russians that the cost of living is as low as it is thanks to its semi-socialist state. Still, income inequality exists between Russia’s West and East and will take more work to rectify. In many ways Russia is a modern well-developed state, while in others it remains a developing nation. One thing is certain: There’s plenty of work to be done.
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In the USSA this would incomprehensible. Our government is only concerned about themselves and how they can enrich themselves at the citizens expense.
The idea that government desires to help the people is completely foreign to the hegemon.
Yes, it is true. In many regions of Russia, visible backwardness still prevails. The condition of roads, apartments and houses, shops and supermarkets supplying the local population, and access to culture.
But a few points on this:
1. This vast country stretches across 11 time zones, over enormous territories with extremely harsh climatic conditions, difficult geographical circumstances, partly untamed nature, and the very great distances between human settlements make adequate logistical connectivity among them difficult.
2. Regarding the economic development and utilization of Russia’s famous natural resources, this country requires an immense amount of infrastructure—not only modernized but also newly built—and, under the conditions described in point 1, constantly maintained. Where infrastructure is constructed to extract raw materials, power plants, settlements/towns with healthcare, schools, local public transport, food supply chains, service providers, etc., must be created so that people can work there long-term without having to live in container housing.
3. It is a constant, enormous societal challenge not only to preserve but also to foster cohesion among the many ethnicities, religions, and cultures throughout this vast land. And this despite the fact that hostile countries and powers have, for centuries, tried everything possible to drive a wedge between these different ethnic groups. The most famous examples are Chechnya and Dagestan. Putin’s cultivation of good relations with Jewish and Islamic religious leaders leads (due to Western observers’ lack of understanding) particularly regarding Judaism to the mistaken suspicion of collusion with Israel and a conspiratorial global Jewish cabal—an idea that is simply absurd.
4. External security. I do not wish to bore anyone by elaborating here on the reasons why Russia has been a target/victim of foreign powers for centuries. The well-read and educated visitors of Karl’s Substack know this themselves. But in this regard, I recall the brief interview Putin gave to a Russian journalist in 2014 in the mountains near Sochi. Quoting from memory:
Question: Why don’t we do everything possible to topple the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency, if it is the main pillar of the aggressor’s power?
Putin: Do you know how much suffering and chaos we would unleash upon the world by doing that? Such a thing cannot be done overnight.
Question: What do you see as your most important task?
Putin: He sighs deeply from his chest and replies: “I have seen my life’s mission as developing this vast country with all its many problems. But unfortunately, we must devote so many resources to defending our country because we are repeatedly exposed to external threats.”
5. Russia has too few people, and the current leadership in Moscow and in the republics faces, on one hand, a major demographic challenge and, on the other, must accept labor from neighboring countries to secure the workforce necessary for economic development—while simultaneously always having to consider the risks to national and internal security. A difficult balancing act concerning internal security against crime and terrorism.
At least in public, the manners and conduct between officials in Russia and their government staff are very polite and full of mutual respect. I do not know how things are outside of public view, but it seems authentic to me—something unimaginable in the West.
I apologize for the length of this comment. I lack the talent to explain things in just three sentences. And once again, I must rely on machine translation into English.