Alexandre Bogomaz was responding to a video earlier recorded by a group of ambulance drivers in the town of Klintsy, Bryansk region. They complained about their salaries, as low as 17 thousand rubles (about $250) a month. The governor in his response, as quoted by local media, referred to the situation of the frontline troops: "Let me tell you what is happening on the borders, how the soldiers are doing over there!"
Low pay had forced many of Klintsy ambulance drivers to quit. Those who have stayed have to work extra hours. According to them, five shifts are now doing the job of eight crews. The drivers have demanded a raise. To their earlier requests, the management had allegedly suggested the drivers find another place to work.
In Bashkortostan, ambulance drivers went on a strike demanding better working conditions. They complained about low wages, overtime, problems with workwear, and compensations for transporting patients. Their demands were satisfied after a court decision.
But since January 2023 three of them were suspended. One of them was reinstated after a complaint at the district administration.