The 1998 Russian Second Division was the seventh edition of the Russian Second Division. The competition was renamed from Russian Second League to Russian Second Division this year. Russian Third League was dissolved this season and Second Division became once again the lowest level of professional football in Russia. There were 6 zones with 119 teams starting the competition (5 were excluded before the end of the season).
^FC MChS-Selyatino Selyatino renamed to FC Krasnoznamensk-Selyatino and moved to Krasnoznamensk.
^FC Pskov was excluded from the league after playing 16 games and gaining 28 points. All their results were discarded. They played their first professional season and played in the Amateur Football League next season.
^FC Torgmash Lyubertsy was excluded from the league after playing 15 games and gaining 9 points. All their results were discarded. They played in the Amateur Football League in 1999.
^FC Progress Zelenodolsk were excluded from the league after playing 18 games and gaining 10 points (they also won against FC Rotor Kamyshin who were excluded from the league earlier). Opponents were awarded 3-0 wins in the remaining games. They did not participate in any national-level competitions in 1999.
^FC Energiya Kamyshin renamed to FC Rotor. They were excluded from the league after playing 15 games and gaining 19 points. All their results were discarded. They played as FC Tekstilshchik Kamyshin in the Amateur Football League in 1999.
^FC Zenit Izhevsk renamed to FC Dynamo after playing 14 games.
^FC Trubnik Kamensk-Uralsky were excluded from the league after playing 18 games and gaining 7 points. Opponents were awarded 3-0 wins in the remaining matches. They did not participate in any national-level competitions in 1999.