He spoke out as Premier Dmitry Medvedev was in Siberia on a trip substantially aimed at leading efforts to combat the serious forest fires.
'Scary' scenes as fumes from burning forests cover Lake Baikal, with people - and bears - fleeing 'Apocalypse'.
Pro-Kremlin eco-groups echo Greenpeace concerns by highlighting burning of forests which do not appear in government reports.
Almost 3 million hectares on fire, including Arctic, with fumes having hit area larger than European Union.
Greenpeace claims up to 300 times more territory in Siberia is ablaze than officially acknowledged.
Blazes raging just 50km from the Arctic Ocean in Yakutia.
Plane, three fire trains and 5,000 people fighting as dry grass ignites 'like gunpowder'.
New evidence of climate change as blazes come six weeks early in 2014.