At a government meeting, Putin sacked Alexei Savinov, head of the Forestry Agency, following criticism that he kept a low profile and was not in sufficient control of Russia's wooded areas. Savinov was replaced by his deputy, Viktor Maslyakov.

Critics have said the Forest Code, rushed through the State Duma (parliament) in 2006 on Putin's orders, was the main cause of devastating wildfires that raged over Central Russia, because the law disbanded a centralized system of forest protection.

Russian forests cover 809 million hectares, twice the size of the European Union landmass. But the new legislation deprived the Forestry Agency of important powers to oversee them, critics said.

Putin on Friday also pledged another 2.7 billion roubles ($88.52 million) in aid for wildfire victims, on top of 5 billion roubles he had promised earlier.

Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu told a news conference on Thursday that the cost of extinguishing fires across Russia, as well as funds allocated to building new houses, had hit 12 billion roubles ($394.2 million).

Reuters