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Situation on M10 highway normalised, Medvedev says

Prime Minister orders considering use of military in emergencies
Screenshot Russia-24
Screenshot Russia-24

MOSCOW, December 3 (Itar-Tass) — The situation on the M-10 highway has been normalised, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at his meeting with the vice-prime ministers on Monday.

There were objective and subjective reasons of this emergency situation, Medvedev said.

A gigantic traffic jam on the snowbound main highway linking Moscow and St Petersburg forced people to wait for hours and even for 24 hours. “The situation was not easy. I’ve gotten information regularly. My colleague informed me about measures taken by highway and rescue services. But this is the nature,” the prime minister said.

He recalled that on Sunday, he had met the governors of several regions and instructed the transport minister and the emergencies minister to study the situation on the ground.

“As I know the situation has stabilised,” Medvedev said, adding, “It is necessary to draw organisational conclusions.”

In his words, snowfalls are inevitable and “it is necessary to act operatively and try to avoid such traffic jams”.

Dmitry Medvedev ordered the government to consider an option of using the military in emergency situations, like the one which happened at M-10 highway.

“In emergency situations of the kind we might use divisions of Russia’s Armed Forces,” Deputy Prime Minister said on Monday. “They have necessary vehicles and equipment, and both Europe and other countries are using the option.”

Medvedev supported the initiative.

“It may be especially useful for distanced territories, as between Moscow and St. Petersburg there are many settlements and various services, unlike it is in Siberia, for example.”