The Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia (FMBA) has approved the Regulations for organizing and conducting medical and sanitary activities aimed at the prevention, containment, and elimination of the consequences of emergencies (EMEs) related to radiation, chemical, and biological incidents. These activities will be carried out by the functional subsystem of medical and sanitary aid to victims of emergencies within FMBA’s subordinate organizations.

The new procedure, which consists of 11 sections, specifies that non-regular (ad hoc) units will be established by FMBA institutions. According to the draft order, these units may include:

• Combined mobile medical teams
• Specialized medical care teams
• Specialized anti-epidemic teams
• Sanitary and epidemiological squads
• First aid and pre-medical aid teams
• Sanitary posts
• Epidemiological reconnaissance groups
• Clinical toxicology teams
• Radiological response teams

These units will be staffed by specially trained FMBA personnel.

According to the agency’s directive, all specialists involved in these operations will be provided with personal protective equipment. The units will be equipped with specialized vehicles, instruments, and technical equipment in accordance with Russian Government Decree No. 379 of April 27, 2000, “On the accumulation, storage, and use of material, food, medical, and other supplies for civil defense purposes.”

The type, number, and readiness timelines for these non-regular units will be determined by the head of the FMBA.

Structural and Supervisory Changes

Until January 2020, the FMBA was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health of Russia, after which it was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Government of the Russian Federation, and as of June 2024, it came under the President of Russia.

In January 2024, the agency also approved an internal regulation on organizing and conducting civil defense operations.

In January 2025, FMBA introduced a draft procedure for its segment of the Surveillance and Laboratory Monitoring Network (SLMN) for civil defense and population protection. This network will be composed of FMBA-affiliated institutions monitoring radiological, chemical, and biological environments in high-risk workplaces and specific regions of Russia. These institutions will carry out instrumental measurements and laboratory analyses of environmental samples. The draft outlines the core tasks, functions, modes of operation, and the subordination structure of the FMBA’s section of the network.

Source: Vademecum, April 16, 2025