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Russian rescuers saved 9 million lives over 25 years

Russian rescuers were involved in humanitarian missions in 80 countries

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Russian rescuers over 25 years were involved in humanitarian missions in 80 countries, where they saved lives of 9 million people, head of the Agency for Coordination of Russia’s Participation in International Humanitarian Operations (EMERCOM) at the Emergencies Ministry, Yuri Brazhnikov, told TASS on the World Civil Defense Day - March 1.

"Over recent 25 years, Russian rescuers have been working in 80 countries, in many of them - in several missions," he said. "In Serbia only we had 30 missions, and in Ukraine - 10 rescue operations."

In the humanitarian missions, organized abroad, the rescuers saved lives of nine million people, he continued. "We found people in debris, rescued them from fires, supplied humanitarian cargo and brought food for the starving people."

Russia remains the global leader in humanitarian response and "moves forward due to use of high technologies and modern management systems," he added.

"Assistance from Russia has been of demand since the early 1990s, when the Russian Federation was developing after collapse of the Soviet Union," he told TASS. "We have learned our lessons, and now the documents on development of the civil defense to 2030 embody the gained experience."

The World Civil Defense Day, he said, should be a public holiday.

"With the new threats and challenges, the demand for this activity is only growing," he added.

In 1990, the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) General Assembly created the World Civil Defense Day. It is marked every year on March 1.