MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. The Russian emergencies ministry will begin its three-day drills in ten Russian Arctic Regions on Wednesday, with foreign observers attending.
"Between January 20 and January 31, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations will be holding large-scale interdepartmental experiment and research exercise on instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin," the ministry’s press service said.
The exercises, to be held in ten Arctic regions and on the Northern Sea route will involve 2,200 people and around 460 pieces of hardware.
Apart from rescuers, 25 federal executive bodies, two state corporations and 17 large companies will take part. Observers from 25 foreign countries will monitor the drills.
The scenarios will include "a ship in distress on the Northern Sea route, an avalance at an alpine skiing resort, a rail accident, a fire in a high-rise building at extremely low temperatures, search and rescue efforts after a vehicle falls under ice."
The exercise will begin in the northwestern Russian city of Arkhangelsk.
A total of 22 conferences are also scheduled as part of the event.