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Russia’s PM orders environment minister to fly to Siberia to handle wildfires

The wildfires with control zones have spread to 2,700,000 hectares, according to natural resources and environment minister

GORKI /near Moscow/, July 30. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has instructed Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dmitry Kobylkin to deal with the wildfires raging in Siberia.

"[Regions] must be supported [by the federal center]. I would ask you to inspect the situation on the ground, Dmitry Nikolayevich [Kobylkin]. I would ask you alongside some other colleagues, who are responsible for the issue, to fly and look what is going on in the regions," the prime minister demanded at a meeting with his deputies. Kobylkin was also invited to attend the meeting.

"Up to date, no-one was either killed or injured in wildfires," Kobylkin reported. According to the minister, "regional emergencies were declared in five Russian regions, while the most difficult situation is in the Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk regions, in Sakha-Yakutia and Buryatia."

"The wildfires with control zones have spread to 2,700,000 hectares, which is 12% up in comparison with last year," the minister stressed.

He pointed out that "95% of the Federal Aerial Forest Protection Service’s personnel and all its hardware were deployed to help regional forces cope with the wildfires."

"In addition, 100 professional paratroopers have been redeployed from neighboring regions into the Krasnoyarsk region to prevent the spread of the fire and another 100 could be sent to help," Kobylkin said.