"Forests are our most valuable resource": results of Russia’s forestry sector in 2025 summarised at the National Centre RUSSIA
The All-Russian meeting on the development of the forestry sector was held at the National Centre RUSSIA, where participants discussed the results of 2025 and outlined objectives for 2026. The event brought together representatives of the Government of Russia, the Federation Council, heads of Russian regions and leaders of regional forestry authorities.
"Nearly half of Russia’s territory is covered by forests. This is our most valuable resource, which makes a significant contribution to the country’s economy and to the environmental well-being of the entire planet. Therefore, we must systematically and consistently work to preserve the forest fund, while maintaining a reasonable balance between the interests of the state, citizens and business," said Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev.
The Deputy Prime Minister also focused on the efforts to increase transparency in the sector. Comprehensive efforts in this area have led to a nearly fourfold reduction in illegal logging since 2020. According to him, the introduction of information systems has also contributed to this positive trend. Since last year, the Federal State Information System of the Forestry Complex has been in operation, with public services already transferred into digital format, which helped reduce processing time threefold. The system enables full traceability of operations — from logging to processing and export. The Deputy Prime Minister instructed the introduction of artificial intelligence elements to detect illegal timber transportation and to transmit information to law enforcement authorities.
Dmitry Patrushev noted that in 2025 the installation of special sensors on timber transport vehicles registered in the GLONASS system was completed. To improve monitoring efficiency, he also instructed to expand the use of remote sensing methods and to introduce unmanned aerial systems into operational practice. Currently, remote monitoring covers the territory of 300 million hectares. The Federal Agency for Forestry of the Russian Federation (Rosleskhoz) has been tasked with developing a plan to be implemented until 2030 to increase this figure.
Head of Rosleskhoz, Ivan Sovetnikov, reported that the forest fire season has already begun in many regions, most frequently affecting the Far East. He reminded that all regions must complete preparations by 30 April: fully staff personnel, ensure equipment readiness and conclude contracts for aerial monitoring. The target indicator for 2026 is to limit forest fires to no more than 4.3 million hectares, in line with last year’s level. He also emphasised the need to expand the use of unmanned aerial vehicles not only for reconnaissance but also for full-scale monitoring.
Plans for reforestation remain ambitious: 1.3 million hectares are scheduled for restoration in 2026. From 15 May, the Federal Forestry Agency will begin surveying 55,000 hectares of artificially and compensatorily reforested areas. The largest volumes of work are planned in the Amur Region (5,700 hectares), the Irkutsk Region (4,900 hectares) and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area (3,000 hectares). Particular attention will be paid to the survival rate of forest plantations and the write-off of previously planted areas: in some regions, write-off rates have exceeded 60% annually over the past decade, while the conversion of areas into forest-covered land has in some cases remained below 20%. In cases of violations, the Federal Forestry Agency will refer matters to law enforcement authorities.
Within the framework of the national project "Environmental Well-being", the Government is financing the creation and modernisation of forest tree nurseries, covering around 240 facilities. This will provide the forestry sector with domestically produced seeds and seedlings with improved characteristics. The Federal Forestry Agency will also continue to support volunteer initiatives, including school forestry groups and the "Save the Forest" campaign, under which around 400 million trees have been planted since 2019.
In conclusion, participants emphasised the need to consolidate the efforts of federal and regional authorities to achieve the set objectives in the forestry sector and ensure its sustainable development in the interests of the entire country.
Event photobank
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