Russia Turns to Digital Tools to Help Find Missing People
A new feature on the government’s Gosuslugi portal will send location-based alerts about search operations — with AI and drones already joining the effort.
Russia’s main government services platform, Gosuslugi, has introduced a new feature that notifies users about missing persons in their area. The initiative, announced by Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev, is designed to make public alerts faster and more effective.
With one click, users can now subscribe to missing-person alerts. Because most people access Gosuslugi via smartphones, the system will use geolocation data to send notifications only to those near the area where someone has disappeared. According to Shadayev, this will make alerts more relevant and increase the chances of finding people quickly.
AI and Drones Join the Search
The volunteer organization Liza Alert, Russia’s largest missing-person search group, is the first partner in the initiative. Volunteers are already combining traditional fieldwork with new technology: drones are deployed to photograph large search zones, while artificial intelligence processes the imagery, marking potential clues such as human figures or discarded items.
Liza Alert members say that AI is already saving lives in Russia — and the integration of this new Gosuslugi feature could make coordinated searches even faster.
The project highlights how Russia is weaving AI and digital infrastructure into public safety systems, transforming how citizens and authorities respond to emergencies.
