Paper life ring for 227 million

      Earlier, we wrote several times about the fact that the alert system did not work during the rocket attack in the city. We also talked about the shelters, about which almost nothing was known. However, at that time we lacked numbers, specifics. So now we are correcting that.

      Protected from fires, but not from rockets?

      On April 22, 2025, a meeting of the Legislative Assembly Committee on Legislation and Local Self-Government of the Kirov Region took place.

      At this meeting, Igor Prokoshev, head of the population and territory protection department of the governor's administration and the government of the Kirov region, stated that "as of January 1, 2025, the total amount of allocated funds for the reconstruction of the alert systems in the Kirov region amounted to over 227 million rubles" (the reconstruction program has been in effect since 2021). At the time of the presentation, as seen from the attached slide, 35 local systems out of 45 were connected to the regional alert system. The 227 million were supposed to be spent so that when we fell asleep, we wouldn't wake up to calls from relatives saying that a rocket had hit us on the other side of the city. Did anyone hear the sirens this year? The last mention of a planned check of the alert system on the Kirov administration's website was published on September 29, 2025. And the last time the sirens were supposed to "howl" was on August 8 — the day of the last declared rocket danger. Were they heard? Furthermore, at the same meeting, Deputy Albert Bikaluk asked the question: "Where exactly did the money go?", to which he was told: we won't say – "state secret."

      A state secret is information protected by the state in the areas of military, foreign policy, economic, intelligence, and operational-search activities, the dissemination of which may harm the security of the country.

      So, if the population knows how our alert system works, it "may harm the security of the country"? Or was the concept of "state secret" related to the fact of the millions spent? But then why was the question about these funds even raised at the agenda of a "not classified, but state-secretive" meeting?

      After this meeting, the committee decided to recommend the Accounts Chamber to conduct an audit of the "legality and effectiveness of the use of budget funds." But! After reviewing the document of the committee's decision (which is available to the editorial office), we were most puzzled by the line: "funds allocated for ensuring fire safety in the Kirov region."

      Apparently, no one was bothered by the fact that the fire alert system and the alert system during an attack are two different things with two different tasks, constructions, and management nuances.

      What were the funds actually spent on, the system for protection against possible attacks - or possible fires?

      Will the region hear the sirens in ten years?

      At the time of Prokoshev's speech, the population "living within the range of technical alert systems" amounted to over 761 thousand people (please remember this figure) or 67% of the total population. According to Igor Yuryevich, in 2025, 100% of the equipment was supposed to be reconstructed, and accordingly, the population coverage was to be increased.

      The editorial office received a response from the administration of the governor and the government of the Kirov region dated August 3, 2026, regarding the spent funds. The document states that in 2025, the population coverage was increased by only 3% — to 70.2% (786 thousand people). That means about 400–500 thousand people will remain unaware in the event of an attack.

      Oh yes! Remember the 761 thousand? The response states that the coverage in 2024 was lower — 752 thousand. So it turns out: in the official speech, Prokoshev, a gubernatorial person (!), made a mistake?! Or do 10 thousand here or there not matter? Or is it that no one properly calculated the coverage?

      At the same time, an additional 50 million rubles were spent on these 3%, spending almost 300 million rubles in total over four years.

      By such logic, in ten years and another half a billion, our region will finally be able to sleep soundly, knowing that in case of danger, the signal "Attention everyone!" will definitely sound.

      Three weeks were spent gathering, and another three years will be spent "preparing"?

      Some particularly sad story is unfolding in our region regarding shelters. I remember, back in 2021, the question was raised about the fact that we have nowhere to run in the city "in case of something." They talked about basements and some mysterious specially designated places, but all of this remained unknown Narnian wardrobes.

      On July 10, we published a note about the bomb shelters in the regional center. At that time, the administration stated that there are 142 civil defense protective structures located in Kirov. They also reported that a draft resolution had been prepared, which would approve a list of underground premises suitable for sheltering the population. They planned to include about 900 objects:

      shelters in municipal ownership;

      basements of apartment buildings;

      basement premises of administrative buildings;

      underground parking lots;

      underground pedestrian crossings.

      The document was supposed to go through approval, after which the list would be posted on the Kirov administration's website.

      On August 11, that very document was published. However, it does not answer the question of where people should run. In the list signed by the head of the administration Vyacheslav Simakov, it is clearly stated: the presented premises "can only be adapted for sheltering the population." That is, in just over a month, they prepared only a LIST of premises. A list, Carl!

      Then there will be a commission that will select the optimal ones from these 880 premises. How long will that take — another month? Then they need to be put in order. Given the tortoise pace, it will take a year or two — a month for each premises.

      Apparently, just like with the alert system, our region will be fully "Ready for Labor and Defense!" in ten years. No one is bothered that this should have been done in the early years of the Special Military Operation (SMO).

      In the Kirov region, there are 37 defense industry enterprises, 10 of which are strategic. And even five years after the start of the SMO, in which UAVs are actively used and can reach our region, the region cannot provide full protection for the population, getting tangled in indicators and hiding behind "state secrets."

      And in two weeks — on September 1. Where will schoolchildren and preschoolers hide when the new SMS about rocket danger arrives? In locker rooms or basements without windows and toilets? Where will parents of children run? Home, to the basement, to an unprepared shelter, the addresses of which have not been publicly presented?

      Happy Hunger Games to you, dear Kirov residents! Happy Day of Secret Knowledge!