Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree reducing the Interior Ministry's workforce by 110,000 employees, as part of the government's austerity measures.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: AP

"Maintain the maximum number of Internal Affairs Ministry employees (excluding building security and maintenance personnel) paid for by the federal budget at 1,003,172," the decree signed by Putin on July 13 stated.

According to Interfax, the document amends the presidential decree of May 5, 2014, which listed the number of Home Office employees at 1,113,172. CNN Money reports that as a result, the number of department employees cut is 110,000, or 10%.

Administrative staff will be among those affected by cuts in the Ministry of the Interior, the agency overseeing the police force, the paramilitary security forces, and the road safety agency.

In March, Putin took a 10% pay cut from himself, shortly after ordering all government ministries, except the Ministry of Defense, to cut spending.

Russia is cutting government spending by 10% this year as it grapples with its worst economic crisis in years. Its economy contracted by 2.2% in the first quarter. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects it will shrink by 3.8% this year and by more than 1% in 2016.

According to VNE